The streets of Baku saw a disrupted start to the 2025 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. Lando Norris set the pace in Practice 1, leading McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri after a red-flag stoppage caused by track kerbing issues.
McLaren Starts Strong in Baku
Norris wasted little time once his car was cleared of an early pitot tube issue. His 1:42.704 lap put him more than three tenths ahead of Piastri, marking a McLaren 1-2 at the close of the session. Charles Leclerc slotted into third, only 0.552 seconds off Norris.
Piastri faced a slow start after mechanical checks kept him in the garage. Once back on track, he steadily climbed the times, finishing just behind his team-mate. Both McLarens showed solid pace on soft tyres, with consistency across longer stints.
Red Flags Interrupt Early Running
The session came to a halt after just 13 minutes. A kerb dislodged at Turn 16 left debris on the track, forcing officials to suspend running for 25 minutes. The stoppage disrupted run plans, but once resumed, teams returned to gather long-run data under hot Baku conditions.
Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull Chase the Gap
Leclerc pushed his Ferrari SF-25 into the mix late in the session, edging closer to McLaren’s benchmark. Mercedes returned strong as George Russell, recovered from illness, took fourth place.
Red Bull looked less settled. Yuki Tsunoda managed sixth with a solid lap, but Max Verstappen struggled with balance and bottoming issues. A lock-up at Turn 15 wrecked his final lap, leaving him seventh.
Midfield Storylines and Incidents
Williams impressed with Alex Albon in fifth and Carlos Sainz in eighth, while Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton clipped the Turn 5 wall, breaking his front wing and puncturing his tyre, but he still managed to rejoin after repairs.
Verstappen’s feedback highlighted ongoing challenges with car setup, and Alpine endured another tough session with Colapinto and Gasly stuck near the bottom.
| Pos | Driver | Car |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 5 | Alexander Albon | Williams |
| 6 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls |
| 11 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 12 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber |
| 13 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber |
| 15 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin |
| 16 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 20 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
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Source: FIA