1st practice session in Baku: Russell on top, Verstappen P2, shock for Kimi Antonelli

Baku is like Monaco, only faster: on both of these treacherous street circuits, the aim is to build confidence gradually so as to make the most of your speed in Saturday’s qualifying session.

In the first Baku practice session, the track is often still dirty and offers little grip. When working with the engineers, the drivers must be careful not to tailor the set-up too heavily to the track’s current condition, as its grip will improve significantly over the course of the weekend.

The teams are testing numerous updates in the first practice session. McLaren has optimised sidepods and an even sleeker engine cover – featuring different ventilation gills – as well as a new diffuser (at the rear of the underbody), modified rear suspension cover, a new floor and a rear wing.

Red Bull Racing has altered the airflow at the start of the sidepods (and fitted new ventilation gills), a new underbody, different wing mirror mounts, and optimisations to the Halo safety structure.

Williams has what team principal James Vowles has described as “practically a new car”: underbody, suspension, brake cooling – all new.

But Audi has even more new parts on board; the list of improvements comprises no fewer than 14 items, including a new front wing, nose, front and rear suspension, sidepods, engine cover, underbody and rear wing – an even more extreme ‘B-spec’ version than Williams’s.

Sporting Director Allan McNish: “We haven’t brought anything this significant with us since Austria. In the first practice session, we’ll carry out a comparison – Gabriel Bortoleto with the new package, Nico Hülkenberg with the tried-and-tested one. As a first step, we’ll find out whether the data from the circuit matches the data from the wind tunnel. Based on that, we’ll decide how to proceed with the package.”

The Racing Bulls have a new front wing, along with modified front suspension and front brake ventilation, to ensure these components are aerodynamically harmonised with the new front wing.

Cadillac with improved front brake ventilation, a redesigned front suspension cover and a different diffuser.

No new parts in Baku: Mercedes, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Haas, Alpine.

At the start of the first free practice session at the Baku City Circuit, conditions were summery: an air temperature of 28.4 degrees, track temperature at 50 degrees, local time 12.30 pm (Baku is two hours ahead of Central European Summer Time).

Red Bull Racing returnee Isack Hadjar reported at the start of the session that the car was pulling dangerously to one side under braking. Later, RBR superstar Max Verstappen reported similar behaviour from the car.

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri also complained about the brakes: “I’ve got some really nasty vibrations – it’s never been this bad before.”

The cars were sometimes leaving trails of dust in their wake, as the track, as mentioned, had not yet been properly broken in.

Verstappen took the lead ahead of Leclerc, followed by Hadjar, Piastri, Hamilton and Norris.

There was a scare for Williams after around 15 minutes: Carlos Sainz returned to the pits with his left rear brake on fire.

Hadjar also had fresh worries: “The power unit feels like it’s broken; something’s just not right.” His car disappeared into the pits for a while.

Standings after a quarter of an hour: Antonelli, Hamilton, Verstappen, Russell, Leclerc and Piastri, with Audi driver Hülkenberg in P10.

But then came a shock for championship leader Kimi Antonelli: he had to pull over his smoking Mercedes after the hydraulic pressure failed.

Shortly afterwards, the first drivers on soft tyres set their first really fast laps; George Russell messed up his straight away and drove straight on in a braking zone, and the same thing happened to Max Verstappen at the end of the start-finish straight.

McLaren called Oscar Piastri into the pits: “We’ve spotted some damage on the other car (Lando Norris’s, M.B.) and want to check whether you’ve got it too.”

Standings after 40 minutes: Russell, Verstappen, Antonelli, Hamilton, Leclerc, Hülkenberg, Piastri.

Further braking errors from Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc, whilst Piastri was once again called into the pits for a car check. Apparently something was found there, meaning an early end to the race for the Australian.

Ferrari ace Charles Leclerc – four Baku pole positions! – moved up to P3, though the Monegasque was still on the medium-hard Pirelli tyres.

Audi F1 project leader Mattia Binotto confirmed: Nico Hülkenberg will also receive the new parts in the second practice session. Right at the very end, however, Hülki had to pull the Audi over to the side; the reason is unknown.

Initial assessment after the first free practice session: Mercedes are strong as usual, but the car isn’t bulletproof. Red Bull Racing seem to be up to speed. Ferrari haven’t yet run on soft tyres; there’s more to come from the Italians.