Key Highlights
- George Russell topped both Thursday practice sessions at the Baku City Circuit, with Mercedes holding a 0.827-second advantage over Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.
- Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché admitted the deficit was larger than expected, particularly on straight-line speed, while Mercedes deputy principal Bradley Lord cautioned against reading too much into the times.
- Championship leader Kimi Antonelli lost critical track time due to a hydraulic failure requiring an engine change, though Mercedes avoided a grid penalty as the replacement unit was from the existing pool.
Mercedes Dominates Opening Practice in Baku as Russell Sets Pace
Mercedes delivered a commanding performance during Thursday’s two practice sessions at the Baku City Circuit, with George Russell leading the timesheets in both FP1 and FP2. The British driver’s benchmark left the first non-Mercedes entry — Max Verstappen’s Red Bull — trailing by 0.827 seconds, a margin that immediately caught the attention of rival teams. The session unfolded without Mercedes’ long-awaited upgrade package for the W17, which is slated for debut in Malaysia, making the outright pace on the existing specification all the more striking for the competition.
Red Bull Concedes Unexpected Straight-Line Deficit
The scale of the gap prompted a candid assessment from Red Bull technical director Pierre Waché, who acknowledged the deficit exceeded pre-weekend expectations.
“Yes, I didn’t expect this big gap, mainly on the straights. Afterwards we have to analyse if it’s coming from a tow [or something else]. But yes, we have work to do to achieve what they have achieved”,
Waché told Motorsport.com. He added that while Red Bull will introduce its final major upgrade package for the RB22 this weekend, the current picture looks challenging.
“I hope that it’s closer, but it looks like they are a lot quicker than us. We will see what we can do to make the car quicker, but if this is the real delta, then it will be tough for us.”
Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, returning to the cockpit after illness, echoed the sentiment, describing Mercedes as “out of touch” relative to the rest of the field.
“A bit, [and thinking] why they are so far away. I think that’s very impressive. I think we have a good car, we’ve been in the mix with McLaren and Ferrari, but yeah, Mercedes, they are out of touch.”
Mercedes Urges Caution Despite Commanding Display
Despite the dominant showing, Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord — standing in for Toto Wolff this weekend — moved quickly to temper expectations. Lord attributed much of the apparent advantage to program differences, noting Mercedes completed more timed laps on the soft compound during FP2.
“I don’t think it’s a representative gap, honestly. We ran more timed laps on the soft tyre in FP2. Max only had one go, so did the McLarens.
“Probably don’t read too much into it, because every timed lap you did, the lap times were improving. We did one more than everyone else, and therefore probably found a bit more in the track and a bit more in the tyre than they were able to.”
Lord highlighted Russell’s strong track record at Baku, where the driver finished second last year despite illness, as a factor in the team’s confidence.
“George was pretty sick here last year and still finished P2. So it’s a circuit… I mean, he goes well at every circuit, but this is one where traditionally he’s had some really strong results”,
Lord said. He also emphasized the value of having both cars performing at the front.
“And that’s what you’re looking for as a team, that if one car hits trouble, the other one’s right up there and leading the way. He’s done that today and hopefully can continue doing that through the rest of the weekend.”
Antonelli Loses Track Time to Hydraulic Issue
The “trouble” Lord referenced befell championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who suffered a hydraulic failure during FP1 that forced an unscheduled engine change. The mechanics completed the swap in roughly 15 minutes, readying the car just as a red flag halted FP2.
“Obviously it’s put him behind the curve a little bit, so he’s just missing laps and missing time out on track, but equally, it was a mega job from the mechanics”,
Lord explained.
“The car came back, I think, 15 minutes after practice, and it was ready to go just as the red flag came out in FP2. So they did an epic job to swap the engine, get the old one out and the new one in.
“No penalty, because it’s one that’s already in the pool, and yeah, we were ready to go. So we’ve at least salvaged as much of the session as we could.”
The lost running is particularly costly on a street circuit where track evolution is rapid and confidence-building laps are at a premium.
Rivals Play Down Thursday Significance
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur dismissed the relevance of Thursday’s timesheet with characteristic bluntness.
“I’m getting too old to pay too much attention to Friday!”
When reminded the session took place on Thursday, Vasseur laughed and added:
“Friday is useless, imagine the Thursday!”
Why This Matters
Mercedes’ unexpected pace in Baku reshapes the narrative around the 2025 championship fight. After a season where McLaren and Ferrari have regularly challenged Red Bull, a Mercedes resurgence — especially without its planned upgrade — introduces a three-way battle at the front that few predicted. For Red Bull, the straight-line deficit highlighted by Waché suggests a fundamental aerodynamic or power-unit installation discrepancy that upgrades may not fully resolve at this circuit. Antonelli’s lost track time could prove decisive in a tight qualifying battle, where street-circuit experience and rhythm are critical. With Mercedes’ upgrade still to come in Malaysia, the competitive hierarchy may shift again before the flyaway races conclude.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Mercedes so far ahead in Baku practice without its new upgrade package?
Mercedes’ advantage likely stems from a combination of George Russell’s exceptional suitability to the Baku street circuit, a favorable tire preparation strategy that included more soft-compound timed laps than rivals, and strong baseline performance of the current W17 specification. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord explicitly cautioned that the gap is not fully representative.
Will Kimi Antonelli face a grid penalty for the engine change?
No. The replacement power unit was drawn from Mercedes’ existing pool allocation, meaning no penalty applies. The mechanics completed the swap during the FP1/FP2 break, allowing Antonelli to participate in the remainder of FP2, albeit with reduced running.
What is Red Bull’s plan to close the gap this weekend?
Red Bull is introducing its final major upgrade package for the RB22 at Baku. Technical director Pierre Waché acknowledged the team has “work to do” to match Mercedes’ straight-line speed and overall pace, but the new parts are expected to address some of the aerodynamic shortcomings exposed on Thursday.
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