McLaren's Double Crash in Baku Practice, While Hamilton's Ferrari Shines

While Lewis Hamilton topped the second practice session in Baku for Ferrari, both McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, crashed their cars, creating curious scenes ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

McLaren, currently dominating the championship, experienced a significant setback with both cars crashing during practice. This opens the door for rivals like Ferrari and Mercedes, who are showing improved pace, to potentially challenge for pole and the race win, heating up the competition in what was previously a McLaren-dominated season.

The Details:

• Ferrari's Strong Showing: Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in Free Practice 2 (1:41.293 minutes), closely followed by his teammate Charles Leclerc (+0.074 seconds). This suggests significant progress for Ferrari, making them a strong contender for the weekend.
• McLaren's Double Incident: Lando Norris crashed in Turn 4, hitting the barrier with the left side of his car during a fast lap on fresh soft tires. Shortly after, Oscar Piastri also made contact with the wall in Turn 15. Although Piastri's damage was minor, he couldn't regain his rhythm and later faced an investigation for ignoring a yellow flag.
  • This led to both McLarens finishing P10 and P12, a stark contrast to their morning session where they were the fastest.
• Mercedes' Mixed Fortunes: George Russell (Mercedes) secured third place, nearly half a second behind Hamilton. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) finished fourth, showcasing the team's potential.
• Other Notable Performances: Oliver Bearman (Haas) took P5, followed by Max Verstappen (Red Bull) in P6. Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) struggled in the afternoon, finishing P18, despite a stronger P12 in the morning session.

What's next:

Despite the practice incidents, McLaren is still considered a favorite for Sunday's race. However, Ferrari and Mercedes have clearly signaled their intent to challenge. ORF expert Alexander Wurz predicts a tight three-way battle, especially in qualifying.

• The focus now shifts to Saturday's qualifying session, where teams will push for pole position, setting the stage for Sunday's crucial race and its impact on the championship standings.
• Resolving reliability and maintaining consistent performance will be key for all teams vying for victory in Baku, especially for McLaren who will need to quickly recover from their practice mishaps.