Mercedes Shock Baku Field as Verstappen Trails by Eight Tenths

Mercedes delivered a statement of intent at the Baku City Circuit, with George Russell topping both practice sessions and Kimi Antonelli completing a Silver Arrows one-two in FP2 — despite losing significant track time to an engine change.

Why it matters:

With Antonelli leading the championship, Mercedes' sudden one-lap pace in Baku suggests the W16 could be a genuine force this weekend. A dominant showing here would strengthen Mercedes' title credentials and put the chasing pack on high alert.

The details:

• Russell's 1:43.347 on soft tires was 0.552s clear of Antonelli and 0.827s ahead of Max Verstappen in third.
• Engine drama: A hydraulic issue in FP1 forced Mercedes to switch Antonelli's power unit between sessions. Since his car had been treated with extinguisher foam, the team used an existing engine from his pool — avoiding a grid penalty.
• Ferrari and McLaren off the pace: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were over a second behind in P4 and P5, while Lando Norris ended up 1.484s back in sixth after aborting his fastest lap.
• Audi's disappointing afternoon: Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hülkenberg could only manage P14 and P15, with Hülkenberg's running compromised by late installation of new parts.
• Red flag drama: Arvid Lindblad crashed in the old city section, halting the session for ten minutes. Race officials also investigated a near-miss between Liam Lawson and Hamilton.

What's next:

Mercedes' long-run pace hasn't been fully assessed, but Russell's one-lap dominance is hard to ignore. Qualifying will reveal whether the Silver Arrows are genuinely a second ahead — or if the chasing pack was simply hiding its hand.