Mercedes produced the clearest technical signal from Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP1, showing strong energy deployment across Baku’s long acceleration zones, while Ferrari spent much of the session experimenting with how to distribute electrical power around the lap. George Russell set the fastest time, but with a dirty track, different programmes and extensive testing across the field, the early competitive order remains far from definitive.
The most interesting clues from the opening practice session came less from the lap times than from the way the cars tackled Baku’s extended full-throttle sections. Teams repeatedly experimented with where to deploy electrical energy, trying to retain enough for the exceptionally long final straight. That makes energy management one of the early candidates to become a defining technical theme of the weekend, something Ferrari already knew would be central to its Baku energy-management challenge.
Mercedes Baku FP1 advantage goes beyond George Russell’s slipstream
The clearest indication came from Mercedes, which looked particularly strong on the power-unit side. George Russell’s slipstream on the final straight undoubtedly has to be taken into account. Running in another car’s wake dramatically reduces aerodynamic resistance and allowed the Mercedes driver to complete the acceleration phase with far less clipping precisely where additional electrical support matters most.
The tow effectively eliminated the clipping on that run, allowing George Russell’s speed to level off at an almost constant figure all the way to the finish line. He crossed the line around 24 to 26 km/h faster than the opposition, but the slipstream alone does not explain everything seen during the session.
Even without that benefit, a difference of roughly 10 km/h in Mercedes’ favour had already emerged in some areas. More importantly, the Brixworth power unit appeared to have more electrical energy available throughout the various acceleration zones, with that advantage looking particularly evident on Baku’s extremely long final section.
It remains only an initial indication and still needs to be tested under comparable conditions. Nevertheless, the difference was sufficiently visible to suggest that Mercedes’ early advantage was not limited to George Russell finding a favourable tow. The recorded straight-line differences can be followed throughout the weekend through the ScuderiaFans F1 Top Speed Comparison.
A complete reference was missing from Kimi Antonelli, whose running was interrupted by a hydraulic problem. FP2 should therefore provide a more useful indication of the level the young Mercedes driver can reach in direct comparison with his team-mate.
Ferrari experiments with energy deployment across the Baku lap
Ferrari’s work on electrical-energy distribution was particularly visible. At the beginning of the session, Charles Leclerc showed considerable variation in the way the SF-26 deployed its power. On one lap, the electrical contribution appeared to be concentrated on the straight in the first sector; on another, much greater emphasis was placed on the final part of the lap.
Those experiments were not unique to the Monegasque driver. Different approaches to deployment were being tested throughout the field, which is why individual laps should not automatically be treated as definitive configurations. Baku forces teams to decide not only how much energy to deploy, but precisely where on the lap it provides the greatest overall benefit.
In what appeared to be one of the more promising deployment configurations for the SF-26, both Ferrari drivers used a substantial amount of energy through the first sector. The consequence was that relatively little remained available at the beginning of the middle section.
The data showed the electrical contribution being used aggressively during acceleration before being cut quickly, leaving the Ferraris with relatively low top speeds. That pattern illustrates the compromise involved in deciding where to spend the available energy rather than simply chasing the highest possible maximum speed.
Charles Leclerc shows super-clipping before Baku’s final straight
Another significant detail emerged approaching Turn 15, where Charles Leclerc showed a clear phase of super-clipping. The aim was to recover or preserve as much energy as possible before the final high-speed run, but among the leading teams Ferrari was the only one showing the phenomenon to that degree during this phase of FP1.
The key question is whether Ferrari’s distribution represents a deliberate optimisation choice or whether it is partly dictated by having less electrical energy available overall. That distinction will become clearer only as the weekend progresses and the teams move towards more representative configurations.
It is an especially important question for the SF-26 because Baku combines several substantial acceleration zones with a final straight long enough to punish a car that runs short of electrical support before the braking zone. Ferrari therefore has to decide how much performance to extract earlier in the lap without leaving the car excessively exposed later.
The wider technical challenge is one of several areas being followed through ScuderiaFans’ Ferrari technical analysis coverage during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.
Ferrari braking performance offers a useful counterbalance
There was a more encouraging sign for the Maranello team under braking. Ferrari appeared strong in the heavy deceleration phases, as might have been expected from the characteristics already seen from the SF-26.
That quality is particularly useful in Baku. Strong braking cannot erase a straight-line deficit, but it can help Ferrari minimise some of the lap-time loss by allowing Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to remain competitive when the cars reach the major braking zones at the end of the acceleration phases.
The challenge is therefore to combine that braking strength with a more efficient use of energy. If the Scuderia can preserve more electrical assistance towards the end of the straights without compromising the rest of the lap, the overall balance of performance could improve considerably.
Red Bull looks balanced while McLaren remains difficult to assess
Red Bull showed an interesting compromise during the opening session. Max Verstappen appeared relatively conservative through the first sector before producing strong speed both on the straights and through the castle section.
The early impression is that Max Verstappen could have enough margin to become involved in the fight at the front if Red Bull can maintain that balance as conditions evolve. The remaining question is whether Mercedes’ performance level will ultimately prove reachable once the teams converge towards more representative settings.
McLaren was more difficult to assess. The team arrived in Azerbaijan with numerous updates and also encountered some difficulties during FP1, making the session more of an evaluation exercise than a clear indication of ultimate performance.
That is understandable when a team has a substantial amount of new material to assess. McLaren’s true potential therefore remains difficult to establish from the opening session alone.
FP2 should reveal whether Ferrari’s deployment pattern is a trend
The second practice session will be important for separating genuine performance trends from the experimental configurations used during FP1. The track will continue to evolve as more rubber is laid down, while teams should gradually move towards settings that are closer to those they intend to use for qualifying and the race.
The key comparison will not simply be which car reaches the highest speed. Just as important will be which teams can maintain that speed all the way through Baku’s longest acceleration zones, how much electrical energy they have left at the end of them and what compromises they have made elsewhere around the lap to achieve it.
For Ferrari, that means finding a deployment strategy that extracts enough performance early in the lap without leaving the SF-26 short of electrical support when it reaches the final straight. Mercedes provided the strongest early reference in FP1, but the different programmes mean the picture remains provisional ahead of the next session. The remaining weekend timings are available in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule.
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