F1 opening day: Russell sets fastest time at Azerbaijan GP

The Mercedes driver set the fastest time of 1:45.387, finishing 0.400 seconds ahead of Verstappen. Leclerc was 0.404 seconds off the pace, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli.

The session began on a dusty and slippery track, with several drivers reporting early issues. Isack Hadjar, returning after missing the previous three rounds due to a wrist injury, complained that his Red Bull was pulling to one side under braking, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri reported vibrations.

Carlos Sainz also encountered a brake problem, bringing his Williams back to the pits with its rear brakes on fire after around 15 minutes.

Antonelli briefly moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:46.265 lap on hard tyres. However, the Mercedes driver’s session ended after about 25 minutes when he stopped at Turn 7 and reported a hydraulic issue. His car was recovered under a Virtual Safety Car.

Verstappen later became the first driver to break the 1:46 barrier, recording 1:45.787 on soft tyres, before Russell went faster with the help of a tow on the main straight.

A second Virtual Safety Car was deployed in the final five minutes after Arvid Lindblad had to reverse from the Turn 7 run-off area and Nico Hulkenberg stopped his Audi at Turn 4.

Antonelli remained fifth despite missing the second half of the session, ahead of Piastri. Liam Lawson, Lindblad, Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.

Nico Hulkenberg was 11th, followed by Williams drivers Sainz and Alex Albon. Lando Norris finished 14th after missing most of the session due to an issue with his McLaren.

Ollie Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez, Franco Colapinto and Fernando Alonso filled positions 15 to 19. Hadjar was 20th after a power unit issue restricted his running, while Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas completed the order.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the Formula 1 Commission approved reducing the total race distance from 305km to 290km starting in 2027.