Ferrari opened the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend with Charles Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton fourth in FP1, despite both drivers setting their quickest laps on medium tyres while their main rivals switched to the soft compound. George Russell ended the session fastest for Mercedes ahead of Max Verstappen, but a series of technical problems, Virtual Safety Cars and different tyre programmes made the opening Baku times difficult to compare directly.
The first practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is usually complicated because of the demands of the Baku street circuit, but this year mechanical problems caused more disruption than the walls themselves. Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris were the most notable drivers affected, spending long periods in the garage and completing barely more than 20 laps between them. The other front-running drivers enjoyed more straightforward sessions, with George Russell keeping Mercedes at the top of the times after also benefiting from a substantial tow along Baku’s long final straight.
Max Verstappen followed in second, ahead of the two Ferraris. Crucially, however, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton did not use the soft tyre, unlike the drivers ahead of them. That compound difference is important when assessing the early competitive picture, especially at a circuit where straight-line performance and electrical deployment are central to Ferrari’s Baku energy-management challenge.
Ferrari has also yet to make its final decision over Charles Leclerc’s power-unit strategy. The Monegasque ran in FP1 with the ADUO2 engine he had used at Monza and encountered no particular problems, but the strategic option of fitting a new unit with the final part of the season in mind remains available. The situation surrounding Charles Leclerc’s Baku engine plan therefore remains one of Ferrari’s key decisions for the weekend.
Ferrari P3 and P4 in Azerbaijan GP FP1 as McLaren brings major upgrade
Baku welcomed Formula 1 with sunny and hot conditions, with an air temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and the track at 50 degrees at the start of FP1. Almost every driver headed out immediately, with the majority choosing the hard tyre for the opening runs.
There was interest in Isack Hadjar’s return to the track for his first race with Red Bull after the summer break, having recovered from his wrist injury, but much of the technical attention was focused on McLaren and a significantly revised MCL40.
McLaren’s substantial aerodynamic upgrade package is concentrated around the bodywork and floor. The sidepod inlets, engine cover and so-called “coke bottle” area have been redesigned, with an alternative bodywork shape also available depending on the team’s requirements. These changes work together with a new cooling-gill layout and a detailed revision of the floor edges and diffuser, with the aim of improving airflow management towards the rear of the car and generating greater downforce.
New rear-suspension fairings have also been introduced, while McLaren has modified the mechanism of its medium-downforce rear wing. The change is intended to accentuate the stalling of the flap in straight mode and reduce drag on the high-speed sections of the Baku City Circuit.
Among the other leading teams, only Red Bull arrived with notable developments. Its evolutionary package is centred on the floor and airflow conditioning in an attempt to increase downforce and aerodynamic stability. New floor and diffuser geometries work together with revisions to the lower section of the sidepods and their junction line, while adapted cooling outlets have also been incorporated.
Red Bull completed the package with smaller changes to the mirrors and the airflow-deflecting elements around the Halo fairing, designed to improve the quality of the air travelling towards the rear of the car.
Carlos Sainz suffers brake fire as Max Verstappen sets early pace
Further down the field, Audi and Williams brought the main new developments. Williams, in the middle of what has been a very disappointing season, immediately encountered a major problem when Carlos Sainz suffered an issue with his rear brakes. The problem caused the beginning of a fire after the Spaniard returned to the pit lane for the first time.
Track activity was intense during the opening minutes. Max Verstappen was the first driver to make a significant move on the timing screens, setting a 1:46.635. The Dutchman’s benchmark remained unbeaten until nearly 20 minutes into the session, when Kimi Antonelli lowered the best time to 1:46.265, also on the hard tyre.
Lewis Hamilton then moved his Ferrari between the two, finishing just one tenth of a second behind Kimi Antonelli during that early phase.
Kimi Antonelli stops with hydraulic problem as soft-tyre runs begin
With 35 minutes remaining in Azerbaijan GP FP1, the first major incident of the 2026 Baku weekend arrived. Kimi Antonelli was forced to stop his Mercedes in an escape road shortly before the castle section because of a hydraulic problem.
It was far from an ideal start for the young 2026 Formula 1 championship leader at a circuit where completing plenty of laps is particularly important in order to build confidence with the walls, braking points and evolving track surface.
The problem did not stop the session completely, with running only briefly neutralised under a Virtual Safety Car. Soon afterwards, the first drivers began their laps on soft tyres. Ferrari followed a different programme, sending Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton back onto the track with the medium compound instead.
Max Verstappen again made a major improvement, lowering his time to 1:45.787. With around 20 minutes remaining, George Russell then found exactly four tenths of a second, also making excellent use of the slipstream from an Aston Martin along the final straight.
With just over 15 minutes remaining, both Ferraris moved directly behind the leading pair, each a little more than four tenths away from the fastest time despite still running a compound harder than their rivals. That tyre offset means the headline gaps alone do not provide a like-for-like picture of performance. The evolving practice data can also be explored through the ScuderiaFans F1 Practice & Long-Run Analysis.
Technical problems disrupt final minutes of Azerbaijan FP1
A second Virtual Safety Car arrived with five minutes remaining when Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi and Arvid Lindblad’s Racing Bulls were both stopped on track at the same time. Arvid Lindblad was eventually able to get going again, while the experienced Nico Hulkenberg climbed out of his car.
Shortly afterwards, Esteban Ocon’s Haas stopped immediately after leaving the pits, completing a session characterised by an unusually high number of technical problems. Isack Hadjar was another driver to lose substantial track time, spending a long period in the garage and completing only eight laps.
The final order at the front therefore had George Russell ahead of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri. The two Racing Bulls cars followed, ahead of Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto in the remainder of the top 10.
Lando Norris was much further down the order after also spending a long spell in the McLaren garage while checks were carried out on his car. The British driver completed only 14 laps.
For Ferrari, the most relevant aspect of FP1 was therefore not simply Charles Leclerc’s third place and Lewis Hamilton’s fourth, but the fact that both positions were achieved without using the soft tyre. The next sessions should provide a clearer comparison as the teams move towards more representative qualifying and race programmes. The complete weekend timings are available in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule, while the full session results are available in our dedicated Azerbaijan results coverage.
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