The opening practice sessions for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix delivered a clear verdict: Mercedes is the car to beat in Baku, both over a single qualifying-style lap and on race pace. George Russell topped both FP1 and FP2 on the Soft tyre, then produced the fastest race simulation of the afternoon while running the harder Medium compound.
That second detail is particularly significant. Max Verstappen, Ferrari and McLaren were all slower during their FP2 long runs despite using the softer and theoretically faster Soft tyre. The exact gaps must still be treated with caution because fuel loads and energy-management programmes are unknown, but the Thursday data places Mercedes firmly at the front of the Azerbaijan GP picture.
Ferrari and McLaren are chasing for different reasons. Ferrari is losing most of its time through the slow corners, a setup weakness that can still be addressed before parc fermé. McLaren is struggling both through those corners and on the long straight, where finding a solution is considerably more difficult. Those weaknesses could shape Friday qualifying and Saturday’s race.
Azerbaijan GP qualifying pace: only FP2 provides a fair comparison
FP1 is of limited value when comparing outright performance. George Russell topped the opening session with a 1:45.387 on Soft tyres before improving to 1:43.347 in the afternoon on the same compound, a gain of 2.040 seconds.
Most of that improvement came from the track itself. The Baku surface was extremely dirty at the beginning of FP1 and improved dramatically as cars completed more laps and laid down rubber.
Ferrari finished third and fourth in FP1, but Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were using the Medium tyre and set their times between roughly four and 11 minutes after Russell and Max Verstappen, when track conditions had already improved. Direct comparisons from the morning are therefore misleading.
FP2 offered a much cleaner picture. The fastest 17 drivers all set their best laps on the Soft tyre, at approximately the same time of day that qualifying will take place on Friday.
George Russell’s benchmark was 1:43.347. Kimi Antonelli finished second, 0.552 seconds behind, with Max Verstappen third at 0.827. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were 1.126 and 1.318 seconds adrift respectively, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were approximately 1.5 seconds away from the fastest time.
The size of Mercedes’ advantage fits with a broader pattern in 2026, when the W17 has repeatedly emerged as the championship benchmark. The extent of that superiority has already raised the question of how dominant the Mercedes W17 really is.
Antonelli loses track time as Baku practice brings several technical problems
Kimi Antonelli stopped at Turn 7 after only nine laps in FP1 because of a hydraulic problem. Mercedes changed the power unit before FP2, leaving the championship leader with just 16 laps in the afternoon.
Antonelli is not expected to receive a grid penalty because the replacement power unit is believed to be one already used earlier in the season.
McLaren also endured a disrupted morning. Lando Norris lost much of FP1 because of a problem with the new floor, while Oscar Piastri also spent a significant amount of time in the garage.
Isack Hadjar suffered brake and power unit problems in the morning before running with a new gearbox in FP2. Carlos Sainz returned to the pits after around 15 minutes of FP1 with his rear brakes on fire.
Arvid Lindblad caused FP2’s only red flag after hitting the barriers through the castle section. Oliver Bearman stopped with an engine problem, while Fernando Alonso remained in the garage because of a suspected oil leak.
The two Aston Martins will start from the rear of the grid regardless, with Fernando Alonso carrying 25 places of power unit penalties and Lance Stroll 20 after exceeding their seasonal allocations of several components.
Mercedes race pace looks even stronger than its qualifying advantage
Single-lap simulations are completed with relatively little fuel, and the fastest 17 drivers all used the Soft tyre for their best FP2 times. George Russell’s 1:43.347 established the outright benchmark.
Race pace is assessed differently, through consecutive laps completed with a heavier fuel load. The teams chose different tyre compounds for their FP2 long runs, making the comparison especially interesting.
George Russell averaged 1:47.960 on a used Medium tyre. The Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren drivers were all slower despite using the softer Soft compound: Max Verstappen averaged 1:48.517, Oscar Piastri 1:48.597, Charles Leclerc 1:48.773, Lando Norris 1:48.827 and Lewis Hamilton 1:48.968.
Kimi Antonelli completed his long run on a new Medium and averaged 1:48.520, almost exactly matching Max Verstappen despite the Red Bull running the softer tyre.
According to Pirelli, the Soft is around half a second faster than the Medium over a single lap. The difference becomes smaller over longer runs but should still favour the Soft. If Russell can remain faster while using the harder compound, Mercedes’ underlying advantage may be greater than the raw long-run averages suggest.
There are important caveats. The Mercedes stints consisted of only four laps, while the fuel loads used by each team are unknown.
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord also played down the large FP2 qualifying gap, pointing out that Russell completed more timed laps than several rivals. Each additional push lap brought an improvement as the circuit evolved and the Soft tyre reached its operating window.
That explanation could reduce the apparent single-lap advantage. The race pace is more difficult to dismiss, particularly because Russell achieved it on the harder tyre.
Despite his interrupted programme, Kimi Antonelli said: “I felt quite comfortable in the car.” The championship leader arrives in Baku with a commanding advantage in the 2026 Formula 1 drivers’ standings, but Russell has shown no intention of easing his attack.
Ferrari loses most of its Baku time in slow corners
Comparing Charles Leclerc’s fastest FP2 lap with George Russell’s, with both running Soft tyres, reveals a very specific Ferrari weakness.
Dividing the circuit into six sections, Charles Leclerc is effectively level with Russell until Turn 3. From Turn 3 through to the exit of the castle section, where the corners are predominantly slow and tight, the Ferrari loses approximately 0.8 seconds.
Across the remainder of the lap, the losses are much smaller: around 0.15 seconds between Turns 13 and 16 and approximately two tenths on the long run towards the finish line, where power-unit performance and electrical energy deployment become particularly important.
Of Leclerc’s total 1.126-second deficit, therefore, roughly three quarters comes from the slow corners. That points primarily towards car balance and tyre utilisation rather than the power unit.
Fred Vasseur acknowledged Ferrari’s inconsistent performance and difficulties bringing the tyres into the correct operating window.
“For sure we’re not happy with the current balance,” the Ferrari team principal admitted.
Both SF-26s are using the same engine specification introduced at Monza. The main issue therefore appears to be setup-related, giving Ferrari Friday morning’s FP3 session to search for improvements before qualifying.
Finding the roughly three tenths separating Charles Leclerc from Max Verstappen appears achievable. Recovering more than a second to Mercedes is a very different challenge. For Leclerc, who has taken four pole positions at Baku, the second row currently looks like a more realistic target.
Ferrari’s challenge is particularly interesting because Baku places enormous emphasis on electrical deployment along its long straight, an area highlighted by the critical energy zones facing Ferrari in Azerbaijan.
Lewis Hamilton loses twice as much as Leclerc on the Baku straight
Lewis Hamilton has an additional problem. On his fastest FP2 lap, also completed on Soft tyres, he loses approximately the same amount as Charles Leclerc through the slow corners but gives away 0.42 seconds on the final straight — around twice his team-mate’s loss.
With both Ferraris using the same power unit specification, there are two obvious possibilities: Hamilton could be running a higher-downforce rear wing configuration, or the difference could come from electrical energy management.
Hamilton’s account of his high-speed incident with Liam Lawson points towards the second possibility.
McLaren is losing time both in slow corners and on the straight
Lando Norris was direct when assessing McLaren’s opening day. As reported by Automoto.it, the reigning world champion said the car itself felt good but admitted: “We’re still miles off the pace of the best.”
Norris believes Mercedes has an advantage both through the slow corners and along Baku’s straights. The telemetry supports that assessment.
On his fastest FP2 lap, Norris loses approximately 0.7 seconds to Russell between Turn 3 and the castle section, a deficit comparable to Ferrari’s. However, he then gives away another 0.8 seconds on the long straight to the finish.
Norris reached a maximum of 320 km/h compared with Russell’s 339 km/h. In the official FP2 speed trap, Norris ranked 16th and Oscar Piastri 20th.
The deficit on the straight is probably a combination of aerodynamic drag and electrical energy deployment. McLaren brought a new rear-wing solution to Baku designed to reduce drag more effectively when opened on the straights, but so far it has not been enough.
The team could reduce rear-wing load further to gain straight-line speed. The compromise is obvious: doing so would sacrifice more performance in the slow corners, precisely where the MCL40 is already struggling.
It adds another complication to a season in which McLaren has continued developing the MCL40 in an attempt to close the gap to Mercedes. Toto Wolff has previously admitted that Mercedes itself was behind some rivals in bringing upgrades despite the W17’s remaining potential.
The straight-line weakness could become even more significant in the race. During the FP2 long runs, Oscar Piastri was not far from Max Verstappen, but Fred Vasseur noted that Norris spent considerable time behind Pierre Gasly’s Alpine without managing to overtake.
With the current speed deficit, losing a position at the start could make recovering it particularly difficult.
Baku’s long straight exposes Formula 1’s electrical energy challenge
Telemetry from the main straight shows the same phenomenon across almost the entire field.
On the fastest FP2 laps, almost every driver reaches peak speed between approximately 4.9 and 5.4 kilometres into the lap. From there to the start-finish line, speeds then fall by between 12 and 21 km/h despite drivers remaining at 100% throttle and not braking.
The reason is the reduction in electrical assistance as the cars run out of deployment energy.
According to the FIA power-unit information for the weekend, the electric motor can deliver its full permitted output up to around 340 km/h in the relevant acceleration phases. Norris, however, starts losing speed at only around 320 km/h.
In his case, and for other drivers whose maximum speeds are below the theoretical velocity threshold, the limiting factor is therefore not speed itself but how much electrical energy remains available.
A driver who preserves more battery energy can continue accelerating for longer and arrive at the Turn 1 braking zone at a higher speed. That matters enormously at Baku, where Turn 1 represents one of the circuit’s main overtaking opportunities.
Hamilton-Lawson incident highlights Baku energy problem
The same issue helps explain the incident between Lewis Hamilton and Liam Lawson in FP2.
Hamilton was preparing for another lap and had what initially appeared to be a comfortable margin over Lawson, who was on a push lap. As reported by The Race, Hamilton explained that when he reached Turn 18 “it was as if the car switched off”.
His speed dropped dramatically as the electrical deployment disappeared, allowing Lawson to close the gap far more quickly than expected. The Racing Bulls driver suddenly found the Ferrari directly ahead and had to react.
The stewards summoned both drivers over the alleged impeding incident. Hamilton ultimately received a reprimand.
Race Control had already introduced a specific instruction for that section of the circuit: drivers on slow laps must remain on the extreme left from the exit of Turn 16 to the approach to Turn 18 to reduce the risk created by major closing-speed differences.
The episode demonstrated how much energy management can affect qualifying traffic at Baku under the 2026 regulations, even when both drivers remain fully committed on the throttle.
Pirelli tyres show almost no degradation but are difficult to warm up
Pirelli has brought the three softest compounds in its current range to Azerbaijan: the C3 as the Hard, C4 as the Medium and C5 as the Soft.
Most drivers concentrated on the Hard during FP1, while FP2 was dominated by Medium and Soft running. The main problem across both sessions was not tyre wear but temperature.
Compared with 2025, the Baku asphalt made it more difficult to bring the tyres into their ideal working window, particularly on the front axle. Pirelli reported that peak single-lap performance was “often achieved only after several attempts”.
Kimi Antonelli’s FP2 sequence illustrates the problem clearly. On the same set of Soft tyres, the Mercedes driver improved from 1:45.671 to 1:44.753 and finally 1:43.899, gaining performance with every attempt.
The lack of front-tyre temperature also increases the danger of locking up under braking. In FP1, eight of the 13 laps deleted for track-limit infringements occurred at Turn 1, one of the heaviest braking zones on the circuit.
Degradation, by contrast, was almost non-existent. Pirelli observed no graining, while on several long runs the improvement in track conditions almost completely compensated for tyre wear.
The difference between compounds also decreases over longer stints. While Pirelli estimates roughly half a second between the Medium and Soft over one lap, the gap becomes smaller during race simulations. At Williams, Carlos Sainz on the Medium produced approximately the same average pace as Alexander Albon on the Soft.
Max Verstappen remains Mercedes’ closest threat
Max Verstappen spent part of FP2 fighting the uneven Baku surface.
“I’m constantly counter-steering because my rear axle is coming off the ground,” the Red Bull driver reported over the radio.
On Verstappen’s fastest Soft-tyre lap, he loses between 0.17 and 0.27 seconds to Russell in four of the six sections used for comparison. Unlike Ferrari and McLaren, therefore, Red Bull’s deficit is distributed more evenly around the lap rather than being concentrated in one particular area.
During the FP2 long run, however, Verstappen’s average on the Soft was almost identical to Antonelli’s on the Medium. Mercedes still holds the advantage, but Red Bull currently appears to be the strongest alternative.
That represents an encouraging development after a season in which Verstappen and the RB22 have regularly faced balance and performance limitations.
Alpine leads the midfield as Williams and Audi assess upgrades
Among the midfield teams, Alpine produced the strongest opening-day performance. Pierre Gasly finished seventh in FP2 and said he was very satisfied with the car.
Esteban Ocon also found the Haas significantly easier to drive than its 2025 predecessor.
Audi and Williams, both of which introduced substantial upgrade packages in Baku, occupied positions between 14th and 17th. Gabriel Bortoleto complained about a lack of grip, while Carlos Sainz believes Q2 may represent the realistic maximum for Williams in qualifying.
What to expect from Azerbaijan GP qualifying
Tyre preparation could be decisive in qualifying. Drivers will need to use the preparation lap effectively enough to generate temperature before beginning their push lap, particularly at the front axle.
There are two important constraints.
The first comes from Race Control. The section between the two Safety Car lines, covering almost the entire lap between pit exit and pit entry, must be completed in less than two minutes and eight seconds. The limit is designed to prevent drivers circulating excessively slowly while trying to create gaps.
The second factor is the weather. Pirelli expects lower temperatures and stronger winds on Friday, conditions that could make warming the tyres even more difficult.
That could introduce greater variability into qualifying than the raw FP2 times suggest, especially because Russell benefited from more opportunities to build temperature and improve his lap than some of his immediate rivals.
A one-stop race is likely but Safety Cars could change everything
With degradation so low, the most likely race strategy is a single pit stop, with the Medium and Soft tyres currently appearing to be the preferred compounds.
Baku’s Safety Car record could change everything. According to Ferrari, the Safety Car has appeared 12 times across the nine previous editions held on the street circuit.
That is particularly relevant for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. With both Aston Martins starting from the back because of power-unit penalties, extending the first stint and waiting for a possible neutralisation could provide their best strategic opportunity.
The race schedule itself is also unusual, with the Grand Prix taking place on Saturday. Full timings for the weekend are available in the 2026 Azerbaijan GP schedule.
Overtake mode could transform race-day battles
Electrical energy will matter just as much in the race as it does over a qualifying lap, but the regulations change the way it can be used when one driver is attacking another.
A driver who is within one second of the car ahead at the detection point after Turn 16 can use Overtake mode, giving access to additional electrical power down the long straight.
That creates an important dynamic. While the defending driver may already be running short of battery energy towards the end of the straight, the attacking car can retain additional deployment and generate a substantial speed advantage approaching Turn 1.
It is an overtaking effect that could be far more visible in Saturday’s race than it was during Thursday practice.
Azerbaijan GP verdict: Mercedes starts as the benchmark
The Thursday data leaves Mercedes as the benchmark for both qualifying and the race. Russell was fastest in FP2 on the Soft and also produced the strongest long-run average despite using the harder Medium compound.
Ferrari’s main problem is concentrated in the slow corners and appears largely setup-related, giving the team an opportunity to reduce the deficit before qualifying. Catching Red Bull looks more realistic than eliminating the full gap to Mercedes, with the SF-26 already facing a difficult Baku challenge.
McLaren has a more complicated problem because it is losing performance both in the corners and on the straight. Any attempt to reduce drag risks worsening the slow-corner weakness, while the limited top speed could become even more damaging in race conditions.
Red Bull and Verstappen currently appear to be the closest alternative to Mercedes, although the RB22 still needs greater stability over Baku’s bumps.
With tyre degradation close to zero, Saturday’s race is likely to place enormous importance on starting position, electrical energy available at the end of the main straight and the timing of any Safety Car intervention.
After Thursday, though, one conclusion stands above the rest: Mercedes has the advantage. The question for qualifying is how much of the enormous FP2 margin survives once Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren complete their final setup work and everyone attacks under the same conditions.
