The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend began with a dramatic double-header of practice sessions on the challenging Baku street circuit. The narrow, twisty track, notorious for catching drivers off guard, lived up to its reputation with numerous incidents, red flags, and standout performances.
In the opening practice session, Max Verstappen left it until the final moments to set the pace. The Red Bull star clocked a blistering 1m 45.546s on the softest C5 tyres to edge out Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton by 0.313s. Red Bull's new floor upgrade appeared effective, with Sergio Perez securing third, just 0.376s behind his teammate. McLaren's Lando Norris and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz rounded out the top five, showcasing competitive times.
However, the session was not without drama. Charles Leclerc, a specialist on the Baku streets, led early on medium tires but clipped the dirt at Turn 15, sending his Ferrari into the barriers and ending his run prematurely. The incident was one of several that brought out the red flags as drivers struggled with the low-grip surface.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso showed promise by finishing seventh, while Haas substitute Ollie Bearman impressed by placing 11th. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll voiced frustration over his Aston Martin's balance, finishing a distant 13th.
For Verstappen, a growing urgency surrounds he and his team after several setbacks in previous races allowing Lando Norris to close in on the points lead for the Driver's Championship.
"Overall, I think it has been a good day," said Verstappen. "We learnt quite a bit and now it is just about tidying up the things that we tried, but I think so far we have been more competitive this weekend so that’s positive. There has been a lot of work in the background and it has been positive. For sure FP2 was a bit more difficult for me. I had some issues with my visor, when the sun comes down in between the buildings you have some glaring moments and I struggled with the visibility. The track is also quite slippery and has a lot of 90 degree corners so I just need to get the balance together a bit more, however I’m quite confident that we can be more competitive."
The second practice session saw a revitalized Leclerc bounce back to set the fastest lap of 1m 43.484s, overcoming earlier car issues. His top time narrowly beat Perez, who had momentarily led with a 1m 43.490s. Hamilton continued his strong form, placing third, while Verstappen settled for sixth after several close calls with the barriers.
The session continued to challenge drivers, with Sainz, Zhou Guanyu, and rookie Franco Colapinto all having moments on track. Colapinto, driving for Williams, brought out another red flag after a spin at Turn 4.
Alpine struggled throughout both sessions, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon languishing near the bottom of the timesheets due to mechanical issues. Ocon's troubles were compounded by a power unit failure that halted his FP1 efforts.
As the dust settled on a frenetic day of practice, it was clear that both Ferrari and Red Bull had the pace to challenge for pole, while teams like McLaren and Aston Martin looked to capitalize on any opportunity.