George Russell proved Mercedes has the speed to win in Baku by topping the second practice session. He set a time of 1m 43.347s, beating teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli by over half a second. Max Verstappen sat in third, nearly a full second off the pace. This gap shows Mercedes has found a setup that works on this high-speed track while others struggle.
The pace gap is real
Russell improved his time after a first run of 1m 43.759s. His teammate Antonelli jumped to second with a 1m 43.899s lap. This one-two finish for Mercedes is a massive statement before qualifying. Per Formula 1 Official, the rest of the field trailed by a full second or more. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were both over a second behind the leader. Only one rival could get within a second of Russell’s benchmark time, and that was his own teammate.
Max Verstappen looked unhappy with his car balance throughout the session. He complained early on that the “rear axle is coming off the ground.” This lack of grip costs time on a track where you need to push hard through the corners. Red Bull will need to fix this quickly if they want to challenge for the pole position.
Lawson calls out the danger
The session was not all about lap times. It was also about survival on a narrow track. Liam Lawson had a scary moment when Lewis Hamilton blocked his path in the final sector. Lawson did not hold back on his anger. He said, “That is so fucking dangerous” after dodging the Ferrari. Hamilton has been summoned to the stewards over this incident.
George Russell faced similar issues. He told his team, “I almost went straight into the back of Bortoleto” after a close call with an Audi. Arvid Lindblad crashed at turn eight, causing the only red flag of the day. His car’s right-hand side was damaged by him, causing a stop. These incidents prove that one mistake here can end a race weekend instantly.
Repairs and reliability issues
Mercedes had to work hard to get Antonelli back on track. He missed around half of the session because of repairs to the car. A hydraulic problem in the first practice forced the team to act fast. The fact they got him running and he still finished second shows the strength of the garage crew.
Other teams faced their own mechanical headaches. Fernando Alonso had an oil leak that limited his running time. Oliver Bearman’s engine failed when he rejoined the track after a restart. Oliver Bearman ended the session in 20th place. With so many cars having issues, the team that can keep their engine running might be the real winner here.
The teams will dig through the data overnight before the final practice. Russell’s 1m 43.347s time sets a high bar. If Verstappen cannot fix his balance, Mercedes could take the pole and the win. The gap of 0.827 seconds to third place is too big to ignore.
What the numbers tell us
The data from RaceFans confirms the order. Russell led the session by a clear margin. Antonelli followed with a 0.552 second gap. Verstappen sat 0.827 seconds behind. These small fractions of a second separate the best from the rest. Pierre Gasly put his Alpine in seventh place, ahead of Oscar Piastri. The midfield battle remains tight, but the top three spots are clearly defined.
Mercedes looks ready to fight. They are conclusively fastest in this session. The only question is if they can hold that speed into the race. The drivers will return to the track at 1230 local time on Friday for the final hour of practice.
