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Russell Tops Opening Azerbaijan Practice, Car Trouble Sidelines Antonelli
On Thursday, Mercedes driver George Russell topped the opening practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a 1:45.387 lap time, finishing 0.400 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen on the Baku City Circuit.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli's practice ended prematurely after a hydraulics failure caused his Mercedes to stop at Turn 7, limiting the Italian to nine laps during the session.
Returning from a wrist injury, Red Bull driver Isack Hadjar struggled in his comeback, completing only eight laps because of brake and engine problems that forced extended garage time.
Drivers navigated the dusty, slippery Baku street track as multiple teams faced mechanical hurdles; Carlos Sainz's upgraded Williams suffered a rear brake fire while Lando Norris contended with damage checks.
With second practice scheduled for 16:00 local time, mechanics face a tight turnaround to repair damaged vehicles and finalize setups for the weekend's competitive sessions ahead.
Carlos Sainz has finally smiled again. This Friday, the Spaniard has achieved his best mark of the season in a standings and has done so in the same place where last year he climbed the podium for the first time as a Williams driver. The Baku circuit has always been ... Continue reading "Sainz smiles again in his sacred land with Williams: «To the first opportunity I had to shine...»"