Russell fastest in Baku FP1 as Antonelli hits hydraulics trouble

George Russell sent an early statement in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend by topping first practice, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli was sidelined by a hydraulics issue. Russell, who trails his Mercedes team-mate by 81 points in the Drivers' Championship, was helped by a big slipstream from Fernando Alonso on his fastest lap but had already shown strong pace earlier in the session. He ended up four tenths clear of Max Verstappen and both Ferraris.

Why it matters:

With Antonelli winning the last two races and holding a commanding lead, Russell needs to start closing the gap before the title race gets away from him. Baku's notoriously unpredictable street circuit could offer the perfect chance to begin a comeback, but as Antonelli found out, reliability can turn the weekend upside down in seconds.

The details:

• Russell's pace was genuine: his fastest lap got a tow from Alonso, but he was near the top throughout the session.
• Verstappen and both Ferraris were four tenths back, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc setting their best times on the medium tyre as they look toward qualifying.
• Antonelli lost around 35 minutes of track time after hydraulics trouble forced him to stop, leaving him on the back foot heading into second practice.
• His championship lead is still substantial — 81 points over Russell and more than 100 over Hamilton and Lando Norris — but Baku has a habit of producing chaos.

What's next:

Second practice takes place later on Thursday at 1pm, with qualifying on Friday and the race on Saturday afternoon. A strong weekend for Russell would cut into Antonelli's advantage and keep the title fight alive as the season heads into its triple-header stretch.