Russell fastest in Baku as Antonelli stops early in first practice

Russell set a 1:45.387, putting him exactly four tenths of a second ahead of Max Verstappen, Samuel Coop reports in his session report for RacingNews365 English. Charles Leclerc finished third, followed by Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli. [1]

Antonelli's session ended after just around 25 minutes. He parked his smoking Mercedes at Turn 7, prompting a virtual safety car so the car could be removed. RacingNews365 mentions a suspected hydraulic problem; the report contains no technical confirmation from Mercedes. Before his stoppage, Antonelli had briefly topped the timesheets with a 1:46.265. His eventual fifth place therefore came after a session cut short. [1]

Not everything went smoothly at Red Bull either. Isack Hadjar returned to the garage after reporting that his engine had failed. He did not go out again. His report is not a confirmed diagnosis of the technical problem.

McLaren ended the session with Oscar Piastri tenth and Lando Norris fifteenth. According to RacingNews365, the team took precautionary measures because of suspected radiator damage caused by an aerodynamic component that had come loose on Norris' car. The report does not say what those measures were or how much running time or pace they cost. [1]