Antonelli forced to end Baku practice early

Kimi Antonelli's first taste of Baku's streets in 2026 was cut short, with the Mercedes driver forced to end Friday practice early. The Italian brought his car to a halt on track, and the session was briefly disrupted before the Mercedes was recovered to the garage.

Why it matters:

With Baku's unforgiving walls and the importance of building confidence across the long straights and tight castle section, lost track time is costly. Mercedes needs Antonelli's feedback to dial in the car for a circuit that demands low downforce and precise braking.

The details:

• Antonelli's session ended prematurely after an issue forced him to stop on track.
• The Mercedes was recovered and returned to the garage, where mechanics began inspecting the car.
• It wasn't immediately clear whether the problem was mechanical or electronic, and the team is treating it as a precaution.
• Track time lost: Antonelli completed only a handful of laps before the problem emerged, leaving him with limited running and little data ahead of Sunday's race.
• Team context: The early exit adds pressure to Mercedes' Friday programme, with teammate George Russell continuing to run alone for the remainder of the session.

What's next:

The team will work overnight to identify the root cause and make any necessary changes ahead of FP2. Antonelli will need to make up for lost time in the second session, with qualifying on Saturday expected to be tight around the Baku circuit.