2026 F1 Round 15 Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP1: Russell leads as Antonelli suffers hydraulic failure

The first practice session for the 2026 F1 Round 15 Azerbaijan Grand Prix concluded in Baku on 24 September. George Russell led with 1:45.387, 0.400s ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were third and fourth, 0.404s and 0.437s behind respectively. Kimi Antonelli ended practice early with a hydraulic problem but retained fifth on his earlier time.

Antonelli goes from leading on hard tyres to stopping early

Practice began at 12:30 Baku local time on a dusty, slippery street circuit. Times improved as running developed. Around 15 minutes into the session, the rear brakes on Carlos Sainz’s Williams caught fire and he returned to the pits. He still completed 22 laps and finished 12th.

Near the 25-minute mark, Antonelli briefly went fastest with 1:46.265 on hard tyres. After switching to softs, however, he stopped at Turn 7 on his out-lap and reported a hydraulic problem over the radio. Race control activated the Virtual Safety Car, requiring drivers still on track to slow according to the prescribed procedure while the stopped car was dealt with. That system does not require a physical Safety Car to lead the field.

Antonelli completed only 9 laps, 15 fewer than team-mate Russell’s 24. His fifth place came from the hard-tyre time set before the failure, while the planned soft-tyre run was interrupted by his stoppage. His main loss from the session was the opportunity to practise in its second half.

Russell benefits from a tow; the top four use different tyres

After Verstappen set 1:45.787 on soft tyres, Russell recorded 1:45.387 on the same compound, lowering the leading time by 0.400s. F1’s official report noted that Russell benefited from a tow on the main straight: following another car reduces aerodynamic drag and helps increase straight-line speed.

Leclerc and Hamilton set their faster laps on medium tyres. Although less than half a second separated the top four, their tyre compounds and towing conditions differed. The order therefore does not directly establish the cars’ relative speed under identical conditions.

Less running for McLaren and Hadjar; another late Virtual Safety Car

Oscar Piastri reported vibrations early on, and McLaren lost some time addressing the car’s problems. He completed 17 laps and was sixth, 1.011s behind. Team-mate Lando Norris ran only 14 laps and finished 14th, 1.594s adrift. Isack Hadjar was limited by a power-unit problem to 8 laps and 20th place. Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad were seventh and eighth, with Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto completing the top ten.

In the final 5 minutes, Lindblad was reversing in the Turn 7 escape road while Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi stopped at the exit of Turn 4, prompting a second Virtual Safety Car. Russell’s time stood until the finish. He took the fastest lap of the opening session, while Antonelli, both McLarens and Hadjar each lost running. Resolving those problems remained a focus for the following practice sessions.

FP1 results