George Russell continued his strong form in Baku, topping FP2 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Russell, who also led FP1, set the benchmark with Antonelli 0.552 seconds behind after losing valuable track time to an FP1 stoppage.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was third quickest, but nearly nine-tenths adrift of Russell. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five, both over a second off the pace.
Lando Norris placed sixth for McLaren, despite abandoning a promising lap, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly slotted in seventh. Norris’s team-mate Oscar Piastri was eighth, with Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and Haas’s Esteban Ocon completing the top ten.
The session was interrupted when F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad crashed heavily at Turn 8, damaging his Racing Bulls car and triggering a red flag. Lindblad’s team-mate Liam Lawson later criticized Hamilton for “dangerous” driving, with the FIA set to investigate the Ferrari driver’s actions after the session.
Further drama unfolded as Ollie Bearman’s Haas stopped with mechanical issues, and Fernando Alonso faced a suspected oil leak that left both Aston Martins at the bottom of the timesheets and facing back-of-the-grid starts due to fresh engine changes.
With Russell and Mercedes setting the early weekend standard, all eyes turn to qualifying in what’s shaping up to be a dramatic Baku Grand Prix.
