Photo via BBC Sport

Russell fastest in Baku as Antonelli stops on track

George Russell set the pace during opening practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, clocking the quickest time ahead of Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed in third and fourth positions.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fifth overall despite experiencing a hydraulic leak that halted his car on the circuit.

Antonelli had initially led the early running on hard-compound tyres. However, his session ended prematurely at the first turn before he could attempt a run on the fastest soft tyres. The incident caused him to miss half of the available track time ahead of the subsequent practice session.