2026 Azerbaijan GP: Russell leads Mercedes in Baku

George Russell topped both Thursday practice sessions in Baku, with Mercedes one-two in FP2 as Andrea Kimi Antonelli recovered from an FP1 problem.

George Russell set the pace in both Thursday practice sessions for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Autosport and Motorsport.com reporting that Mercedes finished one-two in FP2 as Andrea Kimi Antonelli took second and Max Verstappen was third. Russell arrived in Baku second in the drivers' championship on 211 points, while Antonelli led the standings on 292.

Antonelli’s day started with a problem before he returned to the track later on. Autosport, Motorsport.com and RaceFans reported that the Mercedes driver lost FP1 running because of a technical issue, then recovered to finish second in the later session. Formula1.com also reported that Liam Lawson had a solid first day back with Racing Bulls, while Arvid Lindblad brought out red flags in FP2 after contact with the barriers.

McLaren were further back on Thursday. BBC Sport reported that Lando Norris said the team were "miles off" the pace after the first day of practice. Norris went into the weekend fourth in the championship on 186 points.