Russell fastest in Baku as Antonelli is halted by hydraulic issue

George Russell was fastest in the first practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli stopped on track following a hydraulic issue.

Russell trails his team-mate Antonelli by 81 points in the Drivers' Championship and needs to start cutting the gap quickly to prevent the Formula 1 title battle from being settled early. The Mercedes driver made a strong start to his weekend, although his best lap was helped by a substantial slipstream from Fernando Alonso. He was four tenths clear of Max Verstappen and the two Ferraris, having already shown strong pace earlier in the session.

Antonelli lost 35 minutes of track time because of the hydraulic issue and will therefore head into Thursday's second practice session, scheduled to start at 1pm, with less preparation. The Italian has won the past two races, but Baku is among the most demanding circuits on the calendar and often produces drama. He is wary of his 81-point advantage over Russell, and his lead of more than 100 points over Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, being quickly reduced.

Hamilton and Charles Leclerc set their best times on medium tyres. The two Ferrari drivers will therefore hope to be in the fight for pole position in Friday qualifying, and then for victory on Saturday afternoon.

Thursday, September 24 begins with F2 qualifying at 10.55am, followed by the team bosses' press conference at 12pm. Azerbaijan Grand Prix Practice Two build-up starts at 12.30pm ahead of the 1pm session, with The F1 Show scheduled for 2.15pm.

On Friday, September 25, the F2 Sprint is scheduled for 5.10am. Coverage of Practice Three begins at 9.15am for a 9.30am start, before F2 Feature Race 1 at 11.10am. Qualifying build-up starts at 12.30pm, Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualifying at 1pm, and Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 3pm. F2 Feature Race 2 is scheduled for 7.55am on Saturday, September 26.

The 2026 Formula 1 season continues this week on Sky Sports F1 with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the first event in a triple-header, with the Baku race taking place on Saturday at midday. The schedule also includes Grand Prix Sunday: Azerbaijan Grand Prix build-up at 10.30am, followed by Chequered Flag: Azerbaijan Grand Prix reaction at 2pm.