Azerbaijan GP Practice Red-Flagged After Unusual Rubber Strip Incident

The opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw an early red flag due to a peculiar incident involving a strip of rubber on the circuit, interrupting the initial laps at Baku City Circuit.

Why it matters:

Unexpected track incidents, even minor ones like this, can disrupt team strategies and driver rhythm early in a race weekend. For teams like McLaren, already dealing with a power unit issue for Oscar Piastri, any lost track time is critical for setup and data collection, particularly on a challenging street circuit like Baku.

The details:

• Minutes into the 60-minute session, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz ran over the exit kerb at Turn 16, which leads onto the long pit straight.
• A strip of rubber became detached from the kerb, subsequently getting stuck underneath it.
• A marshal attempted to remove the lodged rubber, prompting race control to issue a red flag for safety reasons.
• The session was suspended for a period while the obstruction was cleared, ensuring track safety for the drivers.
• Before the red flag, Lando Norris (McLaren) had set the fastest time, followed by George Russell (Mercedes) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
• Championship leader Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was forced to pit just before the red flag due to a power unit issue on his MCL39, which the team is now investigating.

What's next:

Teams will be keen to maximize the remaining practice time to gather crucial data, especially after the early disruption. McLaren, in particular, will be focused on diagnosing and resolving Piastri's power unit problem to ensure he doesn't lose further valuable track time. The incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of street circuits and the constant need for vigilance from both marshals and race control.