George Russell concluded Thursday in Baku by setting the fastest time in the second practice session for the 2026 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver clocked a 1:43.347, edging out teammate Kimi Antonelli for a Silver Arrows 1-2. However, behind the impressive pace, FP2 proved to be a chaotic hour defined by wall strikes, red flags, and power unit anxieties across the grid.
Antonelli, who missed the start of the session due to an FP1 breakdown, recovered well to take second. The Mercedes package appeared the most balanced across all three sectors, efficiently managing energy deployment to maximise top speed on the 2.2 km main straight, the longest on the F1 calendar.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull placed third, followed by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton rounding out the top five for Ferrari and Mercedes. The session saw significantly more track time than FP1, though disruptions remained constant. Several drivers ran off into the run-off areas, triggering periodic yellow flags.
Rookie Arvid Lindblad suffered misfortune on his first F1 weekend at this tricky street circuit. The Racing Bulls driver clipped the wall on the climb through Turns 8 and 9, breaking his right-front suspension and triggering the first red flag of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Lindblad took no further part and ended in P18.
The stoppage was short-lived, but the drama was far from over. Just as the session restarted, Oliver Bearman's Haas power unit gave up, leaving the Briton stranded in P20 and adding to a growing list of reliability headaches across the paddock. This incident was a blow for Haas, who are struggling to develop their car.
With this result, Mercedes showed signs of resurgence after a difficult previous season. The pace of Russell and Antonelli in Baku indicates that the W16 can compete on street circuits that prioritise energy efficiency and stability. Meanwhile, Red Bull and Ferrari are still trailing, with Verstappen and Leclerc unable to match Mercedes' lap times.
FP2 also served as a warning about the importance of reliability at the demanding Baku circuit. With long straights and close walls, any mistake can be costly. The weekend's race is predicted to be fiercely contested, with Mercedes as a strong candidate for pole position.
Baca Juga
Lewis Hamilton hanya finis kelima di FP2 GP Azerbaijan, terpaut 1,3 detik dari Mercedes. Ia tetap optimistis Ferrari bisa bangkit dengan fokus pada pengelolaan ban.
Lando Norris sebut defisit McLaren di Baku bak pisau di hati. Masalah teknis dan kurangnya pace bikin tim harus kerja ekstra sebelum kualifikasi.
F1 2026: Imola bersiap jadi plan B, sementara Qatar dan Abu Dhabi tetap plan A. Ketidakpastian akhir musim meningkat, F1 tanggung risiko finansial.
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