Russell leads disrupted Baku FP1 as McLaren debut major upgrade package
George Russell led a disrupted opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, setting the fastest time as McLaren introduced its largest upgrade package of the season.
The Mercedes driver established the benchmark late in the session with a 1:45.387, finishing ahead of the field as teams continued to assess the low-downforce characteristics of the Baku City Circuit.
FP1 took place under sunny conditions, with ambient temperatures reaching 28°C and track temperatures rising to 50°C. Humidity sat at 74%.
McLaren introduce major Baku package
McLaren arrived in Azerbaijan with the largest upgrade package brought to the grid for FP1, introducing an eight-part bodywork and aerodynamic update to the MCL40.
The package features revisions to the sidepods and inlets, engine cover, H-Wing — referred to by the team as the ‘Macarena’ Wing — rear wing and drag characteristics, floor and diffuser, and rear suspension.
The extensive update is designed to address McLaren’s historical straight-line speed and aerodynamic efficiency deficit at low-downforce circuits, while retaining the car’s established strength through medium- and high-speed corners.
The upgrades arrive as McLaren continues its championship battle with Ferrari and Mercedes, making Baku an important test of whether the revised aerodynamic philosophy can deliver greater efficiency without compromising the performance that has been a strength of the MCL40.
Both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris began FP1 on the medium-compound tyres.
Verstappen establishes early benchmark
The opening minutes saw the field quickly begin to build pace around the 6.003-kilometre street circuit.
Isack Hadjar was among the first drivers to complete a flying lap, although the Racing Bulls driver immediately reported significant brake pull from his car.
Piastri also encountered problems, reporting substantial brake vibration from his McLaren during the early running.
Charles Leclerc initially set the pace, producing purple sectors before establishing a 1:54.395 benchmark. The order then changed rapidly, with Arvid Lindblad, Gabriel Bortoleto and Valtteri Bottas each briefly occupying the top three positions.
Piastri moved into third after producing green sectors in the opening two sectors, while Norris showed promising early pace with purple sectors in Sectors 1 and 2.
Max Verstappen subsequently took control of the session, lowering the benchmark to 1:49.202.
The Red Bull driver continued to improve, eventually producing purple sectors across all three sectors to set a 1:46.635.
Piastri remained within the leading group, moving into fourth but sitting 2.411 seconds behind Verstappen, while Norris dropped to seventh after a lap featuring a green Sector 1 and yellow Sector 2.
George Russell began to close the gap, recording green sectors in the first two sectors to move into second, while Kimi Antonelli also demonstrated strong pace and climbed into the top three.
Leclerc briefly returned to P1 with a 1:49.025 before Verstappen responded with his 1:46.635 benchmark.
The Mercedes drivers continued to show strong straight-line performance. Antonelli was recorded as being approximately 0.33 seconds faster than Russell on average through the straights during the session.
Reliability issues begin to disrupt FP1
The first major interruption came when Carlos Sainz was forced into the pits with his car on fire.
Hadjar also reported that something was seriously wrong with his Racing Bulls, eventually being pulled back into the garage and later ruled out of continuing his FP1 running.
The session was then interrupted by a yellow flag when Antonelli stopped at Turn 7.
The Mercedes suffered a hydraulic failure and the car was seen on fire, prompting a Virtual Safety Car period.
As the VSC came to an end, several drivers began switching to the soft compound.
Verstappen suffered a significant lock-up while pushing on the soft tyres, while Piastri also moved onto the C5 compound as McLaren began gathering data from its new package under higher-performance conditions.
Piastri was subsequently called back into the pits for a damage check. McLaren confirmed that the car was clear, although the Australian later complained that the tyres were cold.
His first representative soft-tyre attempt left him down in P9 before he began another flying lap, eventually improving to P7.
Russell takes control
Russell continued to build momentum as the session progressed, eventually producing purple and green sectors to move back into the top three.
The Mercedes driver then delivered the fastest lap of FP1.
Russell recorded a 1:45.387 after setting a purple Sector 1 and purple Sector 3, moving to the top of the timing screens.
The lap established Russell as the benchmark with the session entering its final stages.
Behind him, the field continued to shuffle. Nico Hülkenberg moved into the upper reaches of the order after producing a green Sector 1, while Liam Lawson also climbed into the top ten.
McLaren's session remained complicated.
Norris spent an extended period in the garage before returning to the circuit, while Piastri's McLaren was subsequently shut off in the pits.
When Norris returned, he reported a wobbly floorboard on the car during his out-lap. He had been running P12 before returning to the pits, leaving both McLarens in the garage once again.
The limited uninterrupted running meant neither McLaren driver was able to complete the clean soft-tyre programme the team would have wanted when evaluating its extensive Baku upgrade package.
Further incidents interrupt the final stages
The session was interrupted again when Lindblad ran into the wall. The Racing Bulls driver managed to reverse away from the incident and continue, although the yellow flags briefly disrupted the field.
Hülkenberg also ran off at Turn 4 as the drivers continued to push the limits around the street circuit.
Bortoleto subsequently improved to P8 after recording green sectors in Sectors 1 and 2, while
Lindblad recovered to seventh before the session reached its conclusion.
Russell remained at the top of the timing screens as the chequered flag approached, completing a strong opening practice for Mercedes.
For McLaren, however, the first indication of its extensive Baku package was more difficult to interpret. Piastri and Norris both experienced disrupted running, with Piastri reporting brake vibration and cold tyres before his car was shut off in the pits, while Norris later reported a wobbly floorboard.
With limited clean soft-tyre running, FP1 provided only an initial indication of the performance of McLaren's revised low-downforce package.
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