Kimi Antonelli’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend has started with a reliability setback after the Formula 1 championship leader was forced to stop his Mercedes W17 midway through FP1 in Baku with an apparent hydraulic problem.
The 20-year-old Italian had to end his opening practice session with around 35 minutes still remaining after reporting the technical issue over team radio. Antonelli subsequently parked his number 12 Mercedes in one of the escape roads around the Baku City Circuit.
Kimi Antonelli stopped by hydraulic problem in Baku FP1
Antonelli arrived in Azerbaijan firmly in control of the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship, but his Baku weekend immediately became more complicated when the W17 developed a problem during the first practice session.
According to Antonelli’s radio message, the failure appeared to be hydraulic in nature. The Mercedes driver was unable to continue and was forced to stop the car away from the racing line, bringing his FP1 running to an early conclusion.
For safety reasons, a marshal also intervened with a fire extinguisher after there appeared to be the beginning of a small fire underneath the bodywork of Antonelli’s Mercedes.
Mercedes still assessing impact of Antonelli’s FP1 failure
It is not yet clear whether the problem will have any consequences for the remainder of Antonelli’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend or whether Mercedes will be able to resolve the fault quickly before the next session.
Either way, it was far from the start Antonelli would have wanted at a circuit where Mercedes had been expected to perform strongly. The W17 has established itself as one of the strongest packages of the 2026 season, helping Antonelli build a commanding championship advantage and prompting questions over the scale of Mercedes’ performance advantage.
Reliability has already cost Antonelli points in 2026
The Baku problem is also significant because Antonelli has already suffered several reliability setbacks with Mercedes this season.
He was forced to retire in Barcelona because of a technical failure, while another problem left him without points at Silverstone when he appeared to be heading towards a likely victory.
Mercedes will therefore be keen to establish the cause of the Baku issue as quickly as possible. Antonelli remains in a commanding championship position, but losing valuable practice mileage at the beginning of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend adds another complication as he looks to continue his remarkable 2026 campaign.
Leave a Reply