George Russell completed a clean sweep at the Baku City Circuit as he set the pace in Free Practice 2 for the 2026 FIA Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in a session disrupted by a red flag for Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad.
Russell’s best lap of 1:43.347s put him 0.552s clear of Antonelli, who had been forced to sit out much of the session after Mercedes changed his engine following the hydraulic issue that halted his FP1 running. Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, 0.827s off Russell, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completing the top five.
The session began with several drivers heading out on Medium tyres, while Antonelli remained in the garage as work continued on his Mercedes. Isack Hadjar had also required a gearbox change after FP1, while McLaren made further repairs to its cars, with temporary fixes visible on the floor assemblies.
Franco Colapinto had an unusual start to proceedings, heading into the Turn 2 run-off almost immediately after leaving the pit lane. Once the opening laps settled down, Russell moved to the top with a 1:46.300s before Verstappen went faster with a 1:45.933s.
Lando Norris then took over at the front with a 1:45.184s, despite running the Hard compound, but Verstappen responded immediately on the Mediums to reclaim P1 by 0.069s. The Dutchman was nevertheless unhappy with the balance of his Red Bull, reporting that he was “constantly counter-steering” as the rear axle lifted off the ground.
Russell then found more time, setting a 1:44.537s, only for Verstappen to respond by 0.045s. With the field pushing harder, the unforgiving nature of Baku soon made itself apparent. Lance Stroll brushed the wall at Turn 15, while Liam Lawson had a close moment at Turn 2 and Hadjar locked up heavily at Turn 1.
The first major interruption came when Lindblad carried too much speed through the tight Turn 8 section. The Racing Bulls driver clipped the barrier and made further contact on the uphill exit, bringing out the red flags. Lindblad emerged from the car unhurt but had completed only four laps by the end of the session.
Running resumed with just over half an hour remaining, allowing Antonelli to finally make his first appearance on track. His Mercedes team-mate continued to set the benchmark, however, lowering his time to 1:43.759s before improving again to 1:43.347s, helped by a slipstream from Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto.
Leclerc briefly moved Ferrari to the top with a 1:44.473s before Russell reclaimed the position. Antonelli subsequently climbed to second, while Verstappen settled into third ahead of the two Ferraris. Hamilton ended the session fifth, followed by Norris, Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri.
The Soft-tyre runs gradually gave way to longer race simulations, with several drivers opting to continue their race preparation on the softer compound. The behaviour of the tyres suggested they could remain usable for extended runs around Baku, potentially making the harder compound less attractive for the race.
There were still several late incidents. Esteban Ocon ran into the Turn 15 escape road, while Norris made light contact with the wall at Turn 16 as he sought to maximise the exit.
At the chequered flag, Russell had completed 23 laps to finish 0.552s ahead of Antonelli, with Verstappen third and Leclerc fourth. Hamilton was fifth, ahead of Norris and Gasly, while Piastri and Hadjar completed the top nine.
After topping both sessions, Russell heads into Saturday with Mercedes having established an early benchmark. Antonelli’s delayed running leaves plenty still to assess, while Verstappen and Ferrari remain within striking distance as teams turn their attention towards qualifying and race preparation.
2026 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:43.347 23 209.109
2 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:43.899 0.552 15 207.998
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:44.174 0.827 23 207.449
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:44.473 1.126 23 206.855
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:44.665 1.318 22 206.475
6 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:44.831 1.484 22 206.148
7 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:44.843 1.496 23 206.125
8 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:44.857 1.510 21 206.097
9 Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:44.868 1.521 20 206.076
10 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:45.290 1.943 24 205.250
11 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:45.479 2.132 23 204.882
12 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:45.681 2.334 25 204.490
13 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:45.760 2.413 23 204.338
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:45.794 2.447 24 204.272
15 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:45.854 2.507 20 204.156
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:46.123 2.776 24 203.639
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:46.221 2.874 21 203.451
18 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:46.391 3.044 4 203.126
19 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:46.737 3.390 25 202.467
20 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:46.801 3.454 10 202.346
21 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:47.403 4.056 23 201.212
22 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:47.889 4.542 9 200.305
