George Russell continued Mercedes' strong start to the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend by topping FP2 at the Baku City Circuit. The Mercedes driver set a 1:43.347 on the soft tyre to finish ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, while Max Verstappen completed the top three. The session was interrupted by a heavy crash for Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, bringing out the only red flag of FP2.
Russell Leads Mercedes One-Two in Baku
George Russell carried his FP1 momentum into the second practice session and once again finished at the top of the timing screens.
Russell eventually produced a 1:43.347 lap on the soft Pirelli tyre, putting Mercedes firmly at the front of the FP2 classification. The lap was enough to give him a 0.552-second advantage over Kimi Antonelli.
The result completed a perfect Thursday for Russell, who had already topped FP1 earlier in the day with a 1:45.387.
Mercedes therefore ended the opening day of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend with the fastest car in both practice sessions.
FP2 Top 10
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:43.347 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.552s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.827s |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +1.126s |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.318s |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +1.484s |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.496s |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +1.510s |
| 9 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +1.521s |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.943s |
Note: FP2 practice times do not necessarily represent the final competitive order. Teams run different fuel loads, tyre strategies and programmes during practice.
Antonelli's Remarkable Recovery
Kimi Antonelli's second practice session was particularly significant after his difficult start to the Azerbaijan weekend.
The championship leader had stopped his Mercedes during FP1 after suffering a hydraulic problem. The issue brought his first session to an early end and left him with only limited running.
Mercedes subsequently changed the power unit in Antonelli's car as a precaution, meaning he also had to wait before getting onto the track in FP2.
Once he finally returned to the circuit, however, Antonelli immediately showed strong pace. His 1:43.899 lap placed him second, only 0.552 seconds behind Russell.
The recovery was particularly notable because Antonelli had significantly less track time than his rivals across the opening day.
Gap to Russell: 0.552s
Verstappen Shows Strong Pace but Has a Difficult Car
Max Verstappen finished FP2 in third position for Red Bull, recording a 1:44.174.
The Red Bull driver was among the early runners at the front of the field, but he was not completely satisfied with the behaviour of his car.
Verstappen reported difficulties with the rear of the car and complained that he was having to make frequent steering corrections. He later improved his lap time and remained within the leading group.
Despite the concerns, Verstappen ended the session third and had also finished second in FP1, keeping Red Bull firmly involved at the front of the field.
Ferrari Completes the Top Five
Ferrari ended FP2 with both cars inside the top five.
Charles Leclerc was fourth with a 1:44.473, while Lewis Hamilton followed in fifth at 1:44.665.
Ferrari had taken a different approach during FP1, choosing not to use the soft tyre. Both drivers therefore entered FP2 with additional information to gather as the team worked to understand the characteristics of the Baku circuit.
Leclerc and Hamilton remained relatively close to each other throughout the session, but Ferrari still had ground to make up to Mercedes over a single lap.
McLaren Still Searching for Performance
McLaren experienced a difficult opening session in Baku, with both cars spending time in the garage and the team dealing with bodywork issues.
FP2 provided a better opportunity to collect data, although neither McLaren driver could match the leading Mercedes pace.
Lando Norris improved to sixth with a 1:44.831, while Oscar Piastri finished eighth in 1:44.857.
The team was still working with temporary solutions on the cars after the earlier floorboard problems, including visible cable ties being used around the bodywork.
McLaren's FP2 running nevertheless provided valuable long-run and setup information ahead of Friday's final practice and qualifying.
Lindblad Crash Brings Out the Red Flag
The biggest incident of FP2 came from Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad.
Less than 20 minutes into the session, Lindblad approached the tight Turn 8, 9 and 10 section near Baku's historic city walls and clipped the barrier.
The car then made further contact with the wall, sustaining significant damage to its right-hand side and bringing out the red flags.
Lindblad immediately apologised to the team over the radio. The incident ended his running for the session after only four laps.
Key incident: Crash at the Turn 8/9/10 castle section
The crash was particularly frustrating for the rookie because he had already shown promising pace in FP1, finishing eighth in the opening session.
The limited running means Lindblad will have important work to do in FP3 to rebuild confidence and prepare for qualifying.
Bearman Suffers Engine Trouble
The drama continued after the red flag period.
When the session resumed, Oliver Bearman's Haas stopped on the escape road after an apparent engine problem.
Bearman reported that his engine had switched off, bringing his session to an early end.
Unlike Lindblad's crash, Bearman's stoppage did not cause another major interruption because the car was able to be moved away from the racing line.
Hadjar Makes a Strong Return
Isack Hadjar had a much better second session after his troubled FP1.
The Red Bull driver had been limited by a power-unit-related issue in the morning, but a gearbox change allowed him to return to the track for FP2.
Hadjar finished ninth with a 1:44.868, putting himself inside the top 10.
The result was encouraging considering the amount of track time he lost during the opening session.
Why Baku Makes Practice So Important
The Baku City Circuit presents a unique challenge because it combines extremely high-speed sections with some of the tightest corners on the Formula 1 calendar.
Teams therefore need to find a compromise between straight-line efficiency and enough downforce for the slower sections.
A car that is quick through the narrow technical sections can lose significant time on Baku's long straight if it produces too much drag. Conversely, reducing drag too aggressively can make the car difficult to control through the slower corners.
That makes Friday practice particularly valuable for understanding tyre behaviour, aerodynamic balance, braking performance and race-pace characteristics.
Mercedes Sends a Warning to the Field
The biggest takeaway from Thursday was Mercedes' pace over a single lap.
Russell topped both FP1 and FP2, while Antonelli recovered from his hydraulic problem to put the second Mercedes into P2.
However, the practice times need to be interpreted carefully. Teams were running different tyre compounds, fuel loads and programmes, and several competitors did not necessarily extract their maximum potential during their qualifying simulations.
Mercedes itself acknowledged that the gaps seen on the practice timing sheets may not represent the true competitive picture.
Red Bull remained close enough to challenge, Ferrari had both cars in the top five, while McLaren continued working through the issues associated with its Baku package.
What FP2 Tells Us Ahead of Qualifying
- Mercedes: Russell and Antonelli showed strong one-lap pace with a 1-2 finish.
- Red Bull: Verstappen remained inside the top three but continued fine-tuning the car.
- Ferrari: Leclerc and Hamilton both reached the top five but need more pace.
- McLaren: Norris improved to sixth while the team continued working on its upgraded package.
- Racing Bulls: Lindblad lost valuable running after his crash, while Lawson remained outside the top 10.
- Red Bull junior programme: Hadjar recovered strongly to finish ninth.
- Haas: Bearman's engine problem added another reliability concern to the session.
Formula1India Analysis
FP2 has given Mercedes the strongest headline of the opening day, but the Baku weekend is far from settled.
Russell's pace is particularly interesting because he was fast in both practice sessions and completed a productive programme. Antonelli's recovery is equally significant because he achieved second place despite losing substantial track time to the hydraulic problem and subsequent power-unit change.
Verstappen's third place keeps Red Bull within striking distance, while Ferrari's two cars inside the top five suggest that the Scuderia could become a factor when the track evolves.
McLaren remains harder to read. Norris and Piastri improved substantially compared with FP1, but the team still has performance to unlock from its updated package.
The biggest unknown is how much the practice order will change when every driver pushes for a single qualifying lap.
What's Next?
The teams will return to the Baku City Circuit for final practice before qualifying.
FP3 will provide one final opportunity to refine aerodynamic settings, tyre preparation, braking balance and long-run understanding before the pressure of qualifying arrives.
For Antonelli, the priority will be recovering the track time lost during Thursday. For Lindblad, rebuilding confidence after the crash will be equally important.
And for Russell, the challenge is simple: turn Mercedes' impressive practice pace into qualifying performance.
Final Verdict from FP2
George Russell ended Thursday at the top of both practice sessions, while Kimi Antonelli transformed a difficult start into a Mercedes 1-2 in FP2.
Max Verstappen remained third, Ferrari occupied fourth and fifth, and McLaren continued its search for additional performance.
But the session also highlighted the unforgiving nature of Baku. Lindblad's crash and Bearman's engine failure demonstrated how quickly a promising practice programme can disappear on a street circuit.
With qualifying still to come, the real order is yet to be decided.
Baku has delivered speed, reliability problems and another Mercedes statement. Now comes the fight for pole.