Welcome back, Formula 1 fans, to our live coverage of the third and final free practice session for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit. FP3 begins at 10:30, with Ferrari facing an important final opportunity to close the gap to Mercedes before qualifying.
Mercedes looked like the team to beat during Thursday’s practice running in Baku. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli underlined the strength of the W17, leaving Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull searching for ways to respond as the weekend moves into its decisive sessions. A closer look at the opening day’s competitive picture can be found in our Azerbaijan GP practice analysis.
Ferrari works overnight before 2026 Azerbaijan GP FP3
Ferrari also broke the overnight curfew in order to continue working on its cars ahead of final practice. This was the second time during the 2026 season that the Maranello team had used one of the four permitted exceptions for this particular curfew period, meaning no action will be taken against Ferrari.
The additional work gives Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton another chance to improve the SF-26 before qualifying, with Mercedes currently setting the benchmark and McLaren and Red Bull also looking to make progress. Fans can follow the complete timings for the weekend through the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule.
Mercedes sets the benchmark as Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull chase
Final practice will provide the last opportunity for the teams to refine their set-ups and assess their cars before qualifying. With Mercedes having established itself as the early reference in Baku, the main question is whether Ferrari, McLaren or Red Bull can find enough performance to challenge George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
The relative pace shown across the practice sessions can also be followed through the ScuderiaFans F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis as the competitive picture develops ahead of qualifying.
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