Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Practice Session One Report
Azerbaijan, Baku — Lando Norris set a commanding pace in the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, clocking a fastest lap of 1m42.704s despite a lengthy interruption due to curb repairs.
The session commenced with a disruption just 14 minutes in when debris was spotted on the circuit. Initial inspections suggested rogue car parts, but it was later identified as a rubber strip dislodged from the curb at Turn 16. The incident led to a 25-minute delay as marshals assessed and rectified the curb’s integrity, leaving only 21 minutes of running available when the session resumed.
Norris, already leading prior to the red flag, maintained his form after the delay, finishing with a time 0.31 seconds ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, who recovered from an early power unit issue that forced him back to the pits after two laps. “Recharge on, back off. Avoid full load. Keep low revs,” the team instructed over the radio. Piastri’s subsequent fastest lap, however, was affected by a collision with the barrier at Turn 15, leaving him with a scrappy performance.
Charles Leclerc, a four-time polesitter in Baku, was third overall but trailed 0.552s behind Norris. Leclerc’s deficit stemmed mainly from the first two sectors, despite marginally gaining in the third.
George Russell clocked in fourth, although he reported his Mercedes bottoming out during runs. Russell, still recovering from an illness that had him skip media duties, also detected burning smells in the cockpit early in the session.
Williams driver Alex Albon secured fifth place after a brush with the barriers at Turn 15. Yuki Tsunoda was the top Red Bull driver in sixth, with teammate Max Verstappen in seventh, 0.069 seconds further back, after losing his final performance run due to a mistake at Turn 15.
Carlos Sainz and Racing Bulls teammates Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten, all over a second off the pace. Lewis Hamilton faced a challenging session, finishing 13th after a collision at Turn 5 damaged his front wing and caused a puncture.
Full Results
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:42.704
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.310
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.552
- George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.739
- Alex Albon (Williams) – +0.859
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +1.034
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +1.103
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – +1.200
- Liam Lawson (Racing Point) – +1.200
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Point) – +1.200
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli – +1.493
- Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) – +1.594
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – +1.383
- Gabriel Bortoleto – +2.444
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +2.663
- Oliver Bearman – +3.500
- Lance Stroll – +3.800
- Esteban Ocon – +4.000
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – +2.5s
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – +2.7s
As teams prepare for further sessions, the onus will be on addressing vehicle performance and reliability unveiled during this session, particularly concerning car setup on the challenging Baku circuit.
