We have officially entered a new race weekend, this time in Baku. The first free practice session has started at 10:30 this morning. Let’s see what happened.
Franco Colapinto and Nico Hulkenberg kick things off, but within five minutes all the drivers are already on the track, except for Aston Martin. Immediately, there is a first twist, with Bortoleto going off track in the run-off. No problem for the Brazilian, though, who immediately returns to the track without any damage.
Less than 10 minutes in, Russell is already complaining of a strange burning smell, probably coming from the brakes. Meanwhile, Alexander Albon experiences a strange incident when his left-hand mirror comes off.
Lando Norris immediately sets a time of 1:44.274, followed by Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver has had an unfortunate history on this track, having taken pole position four times without ever winning.
Session stopped due to a red flag
After 15 minutes, the session is stopped due to a piece of rubber, used to secure the kerb to the asphalt, which has come loose from the track at turn 16. The problem is more serious than expected. The marshals must ensure that there are no issues with the kerb, as it could be dangerous for the drivers.
There are 30 minutes left until the end of the session and we still have no news. Meanwhile, there are problems with Oscar Piastri's car, which appear to concern the Power Unit.
Green flag is finally out
With 20 minutes to go, the session finally restarts. Norris takes the lead again, improving with a time of 1:42.704, followed by Verstappen and Piastri, but the Australian is on used tyres.
Hamilton moves into eighth position but hits the wall, damaging his front wing and puncturing his front left tyre. Meanwhile, his teammate moves up to second position, half a second behind the British McLaren driver.
With less than five minutes to go, Verstappen causes a yellow flag by going wide into a run-off to avoid contact with the barriers. Fortunately, there are no consequences for him either.
Oscar Piastri does not want to give up his position to the Monegasque driver, so he moves into second place, just behind Norris. The first free practice session ends in this way: a McLaren one-two followed by Leclerc. Russell seems to be stuck in fourth place, while it is not a great start for Alpine, with both cars at the bottom of the standings.
Read also: When the World Championship was still exciting: 2017 Baku Grand Prix
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Azerbaijan GP 2025 Practice 1 result
All the news, photos, weather, session times and times from the Azerbaijan GP 2025
