George Russell secured the fastest time in the second practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes one-two. The Englishman consistently improved his lap times throughout the session on the Baku City Circuit. Russell’s best lap was a 1:41.234, establishing a significant margin over the field.
Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s teammate, finished second despite a disrupted session. Antonelli recorded a 1:41.789, placing him over half a second behind Russell. His session was compromised by technical issues that limited his track time.
Antonelli experienced a hydraulics issue during the first practice session earlier on Friday. This necessitated an engine change, which Mercedes completed before the second practice. He was only able to join the session halfway through, impacting his overall running.
Mercedes demonstrated strong form across both Friday practice sessions, with Russell also topping the timesheets in FP1. This performance positions Mercedes as a leading contender for the remainder of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.
Max Verstappen in the Red Bull secured the third-fastest time, clocking a 1:42.012. Verstappen emerged as the closest rival to the Mercedes duo, indicating a potential battle for pole position.
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Leclerc posted a 1:42.256, while Hamilton’s best lap was a 1:42.534, placing him 1.3 seconds adrift of Russell’s pace.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished sixth with a time of 1:42.687. Norris’s car featured a heavily-upgraded package, including revisions to the floor and diffuser aimed at improving low-speed cornering performance.
Pierre Gasly placed seventh for Alpine, followed by Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren in eighth. Piastri recorded a 1:42.911, completing a solid showing for the Woking-based team.
The session saw a red flag period following an incident involving Arvid Lindblad. The Racing Bulls driver clipped the wall near the castle section of the track at Turn 15, causing suspension damage to his car. Lindblad emerged unharmed from the incident.
Shortly after the red flag, Oliver Bearman stopped his Haas on track. Bearman reported an engine failure over team radio, with initial indications pointing to a suspected MGU-H issue. Isack Hadjar, returning to the cockpit after a three-race absence due to a wrist injury, finished ninth for Racing Bulls.
