Formula 1

Formula 1 Friday Round-Up: Red Bull On Top in Baku

4 Mins read
Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

The FIA Formula One World Championship finally returned to Baku City Circuit, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The wind was high and cars were flying, especially into the runoff areas.

The Red Bull Racing duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez took it in turns of topping the timings. Verstappen went fastest in the morning practice with Pérez on top in the afternoon. Red Bull are certainly on a high from their victory at Monaco and plan on continuing the trend at Baku. Pérez came fourth in the morning and Verstappen completed a Red Bull one-two being second fastest in the afternoon session.

Scuderia Ferrari looked to be back to old ways in Monaco and that has continued on at Baku. Carlos Sainz Jr. finished third in both sessions, he’s now got in the groove in the Ferrari. Charles Leclerc had a small scare when he crashed his car into the wall at Turn 15. He went into wall, damaging his front wing after a front right tyre lock up. He finished the practice’s second and fourth respectively. 

Baku is turning into another great weekend for Pierre Gasly. He got his Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda into the top ten in both sessions, finishing sixth and fifth respectively. His day wasn’t without issues, during the afternoon practice, the Frenchman locked up at Turn 15, flying into the run-off area. Yuki Tsunoda had a tricky afternoon. He went into the runoff area at Turn 4 during the morning session, after clipping the wall. He was unable to get his car to start up again. He finished fourteenth and tenth respectively. 

Daniel Ricciardo’s weekend got off to a great start, considering his recent races. The Australian driver spent part of the morning session on top but ultimately had to settle for fifth overall. His afternoon session wasn’t as strong, coming in thirteenth. McLaren F1 Team teammate Lando Norris continued to be a threat up top. However, he’ll be disappointed with himself. During the morning session, the Brit was on a flying lap that surely would have topped the time sheets, but went too quickly into Turn 16 and spun; He finished both session in eighth. 

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team still seem to be in their Monaco funk. Both drivers came in the top ten in the first practice but with Lewis Hamilton in seventh and Valtteri Bottas in tenth. Bottas locked up a few times during the day, sending his car into various run off zones. The afternoon didn’t improve for the team as neither car made it to the top ten with Hamilton just outside in eleventh and Bottas in sixteenth, two seconds off of Pérez’s fastest time. 

Fernando Alonso had a good day in the Baku sunshine as he broke into the top ten during both sessions, coming ninth and sixth respectively. His Alpine F1 Team teammate Esteban Ocon has been keeping him on his toes but wasn’t able to best his during Friday’s activities, finishing sixteenth and ninth.

Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN had a good day as Antonio Giovinazzi continued his Monaco form finishing twelfth and seventh. Kimi Räikkönen beat his teammate in the morning, coming in eleventh but couldn’t break the top ten in the afternoon and had to settle for twelfth. 

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team had a day to forget, Lance Stroll came thirteenth and fourteenth, where Sebastian Vettel came fifteenth in both. 

Williams Racing continued to float around the bottom end of the grid. Nicholas Latifi had some trouble during the second practice when his car had a technical issue and came to a grinding halt on the track. He came eighteenth and twentieth respectively. George Russell was only able to achieve seventeenth overall in both sessions. 

Uralkali Haas F1 Team had a difficult day. Mick Schumacher had a battery issue during the afternoon session and was forced back to the pits. He came nineteenth in both sessions. Nikita Mazepin got caught up in a few run-ins with Verstappen and Sainz Jr. when the pair felt like the Haas driver obstructed their flying laps. Mazepin also found himself in a spot of bother when tailwind sent his car into the wall at Turn 16 in the morning. Luckily, his car sustained no damage. He came twentieth and eighteenth respectively. 

Free Practice 1 Results

PosNoDriverNat.TeamTimeGapLaps
133Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing Honda1:43.18419
216Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow1:43.227=+0.043s20
355Carlos Sainz Jr.ESPScuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow1:43.521=+0.337s20
411Sergio PérezMEXRed Bull Racing Honda1:43.630=+0.446s17
53Daniel RicciardoAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:43.732=+0.548s25
610Pierre GaslyFRAScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:43.757=+0.573s23
744Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:43.893=+0.709s20
84Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:43.996=+0.812s20
914Fernando AlonsoESPAlpine F1 Team1:44.777=+1.593s25
1077Valtteri BottasFINMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:44.891=+1.707s20
117Kimi RäikkönenFINAlfa Romeo Racing Orlen1:44.943=+1.759s18
1299Antonio GiovinazziITAAlfa Romeo Racing Orlen1:45.092=+1.908s20
1318Lance StrollCANAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:45.234=+2.050s23
1422Yuki TsunodaJAPScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:45.384=+2.200s25
155Sebastian VettelGERAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:45.415=+2.231s24
1631Esteban OconFRAAlpine F1 Team1:45.446=+2.262s23
1763George RussellGBRWilliams Racing1:45.452=+2.268s24
186Nicholas LatifiCANWilliams Racing1:45.774=+2.590s22
1947Mick SchumacherGERUralkali Haas F1 Team1:46.899=+3.715s20
209Nikita MazepinRUSUralkali Haas F1 Team1:46.945=+3.761s18

Free Practice 2 Results

Pos#DriverNat.TeamTimeGapLaps
111Sergio PérezMEXRed Bull Racing Honda1:42.11522
233Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing Honda1:42.216=+0.101s23
355Carlos Sainz Jr.ESPScuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow1:42.243=+0.128s24
416Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow1:42.436=+0.321s22
510Pierre GaslyFRAScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:42.534=+0.419s26
614Fernando AlonsoESPAlpine F1 Team1:42.693=+0.578s24
799Antonio GiovinazziITAAlfa Romeo Racing Orlen1:42.941=+0.826s25
84Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:43.018=+0.903s24
931Esteban OconFRAAlpine F1 Team1:43.020=+0.905s23
1022Yuki TsunodaJAPScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:43.130=+1.015s25
1144Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:43.156=+1.041s24
127Kimi RäikkönenFINAlfa Romeo Racing Orlen1:43.220=+1.105s23
133Daniel RicciardoAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:43.298=+1.183s23
1418Lance StrollCANAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:43.812=+1.697s21
155Sebastian VettelGERAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:43.881=+1.766s22
1677Valtteri BottasFINMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:44.184=+2.069s23
1763George RussellGBRWilliams Racing1:44.557=+2.442s24
189Nikita MazepinRUSUralkali Haas F1 Team1:45.563=+3.448s23
1947Mick SchumacherGERUralkali Haas F1 Team1:46.095=+3.980s12
206Nicholas LatifiCANWilliams Racing1:46.983=+4.868s5
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