In a thrilling display at the Baku City Circuit, McLaren’s Lando Norris emerged victorious in the first practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, showcasing an electrifying performance that left fans breathless. Despite a delay caused by red flags early in the session, Norris set a blistering pace, clocking in at 1m43.747s on the softest Pirelli C6 tires, leaving his teammate Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in his dust.
The session took a dramatic turn when championship leader Piastri faced unexpected power unit issues, forcing him to halt his run. However, Norris seized the opportunity, quickly establishing himself as the front-runner, outpacing big names like George Russell of Mercedes and reigning world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. The Italian tire manufacturer’s decision to bring its softest tire compound to Baku aimed to inject excitement into what is typically a straightforward one-stop race, reminiscent of its previous outings in Monaco and Imola.
Just 13 minutes into the session, chaos ensued as a piece of kerbing became dislodged on the final corner, prompting officials to wave the red flags. Teams watched anxiously as marshals worked to restore order, and the session was paused for nearly half an hour. Once the track reopened with 21 minutes remaining, the atmosphere crackled with urgency as teams raced to gather valuable data.
Verstappen, eager to capitalize on the limited time, was the first to challenge Norris’s lead, slicing his time down to just 0.043 seconds off the pace. But Norris, undeterred, unleashed a thunderous lap, improving his time dramatically to 1m42.704s—a full second quicker than his previous best. Piastri, now back in action after his earlier troubles, posted a commendable time to secure third place, just behind Verstappen.
As the session progressed, the tension mounted. Leclerc and Russell made their moves, each improving their times and climbing the leaderboard, while Alex Albon’s impressive performance saw him break into the top five. Piastri, on fresh tires, edged closer to his teammate but ultimately found himself three-tenths shy of Norris’s formidable time.
Amid the frenzy, Yuki Tsunoda made a solid start for Red Bull, claiming sixth position, narrowly trailing Verstappen, who aborted his final run after a misstep at Turn 14. Carlos Sainz from Ferrari settled for eighth, while the Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten.
Despite the red flag disruptions, the session remained largely incident-free. Lewis Hamilton narrowly escaped disaster after grazing the inside wall at Turn 5, while dramatic lock-ups from Hadjar and Haas driver Esteban Ocon added to the session’s adrenaline-fueled atmosphere.
As the teams prepare for the remainder of the weekend, all eyes will remain on McLaren, with Norris and Piastri showing formidable potential to challenge for top honors in Baku. The stage is set for a weekend of high-octane drama in the heart of Azerbaijan.
