Baku Thursday Practice: Antonelli Hit by Hydraulic Failure and a Fire Extinguisher
George Russell swept both Thursday practice sessions ahead of Saturday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli endured a torrid FP1: his car ground to a halt with a hydraulic failure and was doused with a fire extinguisher trackside. Carlos Sainz's Williams caught fire in its rear brakes, and Max Verstappen complained of his rear axle 'lifting off the ground' as trouble piled up on day one at the Baku street circuit.
FP1 and FP2 results
Russell topped FP1 in 1m45.387s ahead of Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. In FP2 he went quicker still on softs, a 1m43.347s, with Antonelli 0.552s back in second. Verstappen was third, Leclerc fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth.
| Pos | Driver | Team | FP2 time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:43.347 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.552 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.827 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.126 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.318 |
Antonelli: hydraulic failure, then a fire extinguisher
Antonelli stopped on track just 25 minutes and nine laps into FP1 with a hydraulic failure. A fire marshal sprayed the stationary car with an extinguisher, and the team then had to change his engine, delaying his start to FP2. He still bounced back to second fastest in the afternoon. With an 81-point lead over Russell after his Madrid win, reliability now looms as a late-season variable for Antonelli.
Brake fires and a red flag
Sainz pulled in just 15 minutes into FP1 after his Williams' rear brakes caught fire; mechanics extinguished it and he returned to finish 12th in 1:46.893. Isack Hadjar reported severe pulling under braking and nearly hit the wall, while Oscar Piastri and Alex Albon also flagged vibration and inconsistent braking. Arvid Lindblad crashed into the wall at Turns 8/9 for a red flag, and McLaren nursed floor damage on its upgraded car through the session with a cable-tie repair.
Verstappen: 'my rear axle is coming off the ground'
Verstappen radioed during FP2 that he was 'constantly counter-steering because my rear axle is coming off the ground.' His pace was still good enough for third, but whether the balance issue carries into Friday qualifying — with FP3 at 12:30 local time followed by qualifying, and the race at 8pm KST on Saturday — remains to be seen.
