Russell Tops FP2 in Azerbaijan, Leading Antonelli and Verstappen
George Russell continued his strong form by setting the fastest time in the second practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He outpaced Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
George Russell turned Thursday at the Baku City Circuit into his own personal showcase, topping the timesheets in both FP1 and FP2. The Mercedes driver clocked a 1m 43.347s lap on Pirelli's soft tyre, leaving his teammate Kimi Antonelli trailing by half a second, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen another three tenths behind.
As the session began under the still-warm 30-degree Azerbaijani sun, most drivers ventured out on medium or hard tyres. Verstappen initially set a 1m 45.115s on mediums, though not without voicing dissatisfaction over his Red Bull's handling. "I'm constantly counter-steering because my rear axle is coming off the ground," he radioed in frustration. Despite this, he improved to a 1m 44.492s, narrowly edging out Russell on the same tyre compound.
The session wasn’t without its hiccups. Arvid Lindblad found himself in the barriers at the notorious Turn 8/9 castle section, prompting a red flag. "I’m really sorry," the British rookie admitted over the radio, marking his second consecutive FP2 crash after his incident in Madrid. Once his Racing Bulls car was cleared, the session resumed with a flurry of soft tyre runs.
Ollie Bearman of Haas didn’t fare much better, parking his car with a resigned "My engine switched off and just… broke," adding to the list of early casualties.
With Bearman and Lindblad sidelined, Russell seized the opportunity to stamp his authority with a 1m 43.759s lap, leading Verstappen by four tenths. As the session progressed, Russell shaved his time down to 1m 43.347s, with Antonelli improving to second. Verstappen was relegated to third, while Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five, Hamilton still getting accustomed to his Ferrari surroundings.
Further down the order, Lando Norris and McLaren had a challenging session, experimenting with some makeshift repairs using plastic cable ties to address their FP1 floorboard issues. Oscar Piastri, Norris' teammate, finished just behind Pierre Gasly's Alpine in eighth. Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon managed to secure a spot in the top ten for Haas.
Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg found themselves in the midfield, as did Williams' Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin struggled with a suspected oil leak, limiting his running.
With FP1 and FP2 wrapped up, teams now have a night to sift through the data before the final practice session kicks off on Friday at 12:30 local time. It’s a chance for everyone to fine-tune their setups and prepare for what promises to be an intriguing qualifying session.