13:56
Pace-wise, Russell, Verstappen and Norris look pretty closely matched, though Russell is doing his work on the medium rather than the soft.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 2026 Azerbaijan GP
© XPB Images
F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice as it happened
Live updates from Thursday's practices at the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix from Baku
KEY MOMENTS
- Russell fastest in FP2
- New engine for Antonelli
- Russell fastest in FP1
The 15th round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship takes place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the Baku street circuit.
This weekend’s race at Baku marks the beginning of a frantic run to the end of the campaign, with three triple-headers scheduled between now and 6 December.
The Azerbaijan race, which first featured on the calendar in 2016, has become a popular fixture during a season for its generally chaotic races.
Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli holds a commanding lead in the championship, following back-to-back victories at Monza and Madrid.
He is now 81 points clear of the field, with team-mate George Russell his nearest rival in runner-up spot currently.
Mercedes has won three times at Baku, though not since 2019 with Valtteri Bottas. But the power-demanding track is likely to favour the Mercedes engine.
Red Bull has been dominant at Baku, winning four of the last five races in Azerbaijan, but comes to the grand prix this season still chasing a first victory in 2026.
The Red Bull Ford power unit performed well at Monza and Spa, both tracks where a strong engine is important.
Red Bull returns to full strength this weekend, after Isack Hadjar was cleared to race following a hand injury that ruled him out of the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix.
Ferrari comes to Baku looking to end its recent podium drought, with the Scuderia not appearing on a rostrum since the Belgian Grand Prix.
Carrying a recently updated power unit, there is a feeling that Ferrari could be a contender at Baku, though much will depend on improving its recent struggles with race management.
McLaren will also be hoping to benefit from its Mercedes power unit to build on its win from 2024 with Oscar Piastri.
This year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix is being staged from Thursday to Saturday, instead of the traditional Friday-Sunday format.
This is due to the country’s Remembrance Day on Sunday.
Azerbaijan GP Thursday schedule
FP1 - 9:30am BST - 10:30am BST
FP2 - 1pm BST - 2pm BST
24 Sep 2026
14:57
Lando Norris "miles off" in Baku F1 practice: "Like a knife in the heart"
Lando Norris is not happy with McLaren’s deficit after Baku F1 practice.
Lando Norris "miles off" in Baku F1 practice: "Like a knife in the heart"
Lando Norris, McLaren Racing, 2026 Azerbaijan GP
© XPB Images
14:32
Lewis Hamilton investigated for “dangerous” incident that angered F1 rival at Azerbaijan GP
Lewis Hamilton could be in hot water with the F1 stewards after a practice incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton investigated for “dangerous” incident that angered F1 rival at Azerbaijan GP
Lewis Hamilton was branded "dangerous" after an incident in FP2
14:13
F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Full Thursday practice results in Baku
Full results from Thursday’s practice sessions at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Full Thursday practice results in Baku
George Russell, Mercedes F1 team, 2026 Azerbaijan GP
© XPB Images
14:00
Chequered flag - FP2
The chequered flag is out.
George Russell ends the day fastest from Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli.
Max Verstappen was third-fastest.
Full report and results to follow...
13:51
Esteban Ocon went off at Turn 15, but he's gotten going again.
13:49
Antonelli is up to second, 0.552s behind team-mate Russell. Got to feel Antonelli has a bit more in him, given how much of FP1 and FP2 he has missed.
13:45
An update from Aston Martin:
"Update on Fernando's FP2 session: We are investigating a suspected oil leak in the PU."
13:44
We'll now get a bit of high-fuel running for the final 15 minutes of this session. So, i advantage Mercedes and Russell right now over Verstappen and Leclerc.
But Norris is the driver I'm most intrigued about, given he's twice aborted fast laps.
13:43
Russell's found a 1m43.347s on this latest lap. He had to weave out of the way of a car ahead, so that could have been a better lap. That's concerning for his rivals.
13:41
Norris was on a good lap, but he's aborted it and pitted. That's a shame. Bit of sandbagging, maybe?
13:40
Lewis Hamilton has, again, gotten in the way of a driver on a push lap. The stewards have noted Hamilton for getting in the way of Lawson, who was furious: "So f****** dangerous, man".
13:39
We didn't see Russell's lap. But he held about a 0.4s advantage in FP1 with his best lap, which was set with the help of a tow. So, it's possible he got another slipstream.
13:38
Verstappen posts a 1m44.174s in second. Russell 0.4s clear.
13:38
Hamilton improves to fourth. 0.9s off the pace set by Russell. Ferraris not looking so sharp on soft rubber.
13:36
Russell now goes top with a 1m43.759s.
13:36
Leclerc goes top with a 1m44.473s.
13:35
The reference lap in this session is a 1m44.492s from Verstappen so far. He's still not gone for it yet on the soft tyres.
13:34
Pierre Gasly has stopped and gone again at Turn 3.
13:33
Watch - Arvid Lindblad crash brings out FP2 red flag
Watch a replay of the Arvid Lindblad crash.
13:32
Everyone, pretty much, is out on soft rubber. So, we should get some nice qualy sims coming in now.
13:32
Bearman says the issue was "similar to Zandvoort", when he broke down before the race start.
13:30
"Oh, my engine broke."
Ollie Bearman has stopped in a run-off area at Turn 2 due to a car issue.
13:30
Antonelli has come out for the first time this session.
13:29
Green flag
The session has resumed.