Russell on top in Baku practice after problems for Antonelli, Norris
George Russell topped the Azerbaijan GP opening practice, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fifth after a hydraulics failure and Lando Norris was 14th.
Mercedes driver George Russell emerged on top in the opening practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, posting the quickest lap of 1:45.387 seconds. This outpaced his teammate and Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.400 seconds. The two Ferraris were third and fourth fastest, with Kimi Antonio finishing fifth. The session, marked by warm and hazy conditions, saw world championship leader Antonio pull up early with hydraulics failure.
He completed only nine laps before exiting the car. Russell's teammate, Charles Leclerc, secured the fifth quickest time but was just 0.004 seconds behind Antonio. Lewis Hamilton of seven-time world champion Mercedes rounded out the top five for the home team, while Oscar Piastri of McLaren was sixth. For McLaren, Lando Norris faced multiple car issues, finishing only 14th after running just 14 laps.
Antonio returned to Red Bull after recovering from a broken wrist, but struggled to match the pace of the other drivers, managing only eight laps before exiting with brake and engine problems.
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