Baku Practice: Russell Dominates While Lindblad Hits the Wall
George Russell topped both practice sessions in Baku, setting the stage for a thrilling Qualifying. Arvid Lindblad's encounter with the wall brought out red flags, adding drama to the day's proceedings.
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is well underway in Baku, and the second practice session provided plenty of talking points. George Russell had a stellar day for Mercedes, topping both FP1 and FP2, and finishing the latter session more than half a second clear of the competition. His teammate, Kimi Antonelli, recovered from earlier mechanical woes to secure second place, trailing Russell by 0.552 seconds. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, clocked in third for Red Bull, 0.827 seconds off the pace.
The session wasn't without its hiccups, with Arvid Lindblad making an unceremonious acquaintance with the walls not once, but twice. His mishaps triggered red flags, reducing his running to a mere four laps. Over at Haas, Oliver Bearman's day ended prematurely due to a suspected engine issue, potentially setting him up for a grid penalty depending on the severity of the problem.
Elsewhere, Aston Martin faced their own troubles. Fernando Alonso was sidelined with a suspected oil leak, leaving him with only a few laps under his belt. This mechanical gremlin added to the team's woes, as both Alonso and Lance Stroll are already confirmed for back-of-the-grid starts due to penalties.
On a brighter note, the tyres seemed to hold up well on Baku's partially resurfaced circuit. Carlos Sainz and George Russell managed to stretch a set of soft tyres to 17 and 16 laps respectively, indicating that the rubber might have some longevity come race day. However, with the likelihood of Safety Cars and red flags, teams will face a strategic conundrum: play it safe or push the soft tyres further than usual.
As the day wrapped up, Russell's performance left little doubt that Mercedes is the team to beat this weekend. Jolyon Palmer, a former driver now offering his insights on F1 TV, noted that it was an ominous day for the competition with Russell looking particularly dialed in. And while Antonelli didn't have the cleanest of sessions, he still managed to keep Mercedes' hopes high, setting the stage for an exciting intra-team showdown.
With the final practice session set for tomorrow, the teams will be eager to fine-tune their setups and strategies. FP3 kicks off at 12:30 local time, and it's anyone's guess who will emerge with the upper hand ahead of Qualifying.