Azerbaijan GP - Free Practice

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Qatar Airways Azerbaijan GP

Free Practice 1

Sep 13, 2024

During the first Free Practice session of the Grand Prix in Baku, Charles Leclerc's Ferrari met with the wall, leading to a red flag being raised. This incident caused a significant disruption in the practice session, with Formula One leader Max Verstappen showcasing his speed by setting the fastest lap time for Red Bull.

Despite the interruption caused by Leclerc's crash, Verstappen managed to clock a remarkable time of one minute 45.546, with Lewis Hamilton closely following in second place driving for Mercedes. The session was further impacted by multiple stoppages, including the need for a marshal to clear debris from the track and subsequent crashes involving Leclerc and Williams' newcomer, Franco Colapinto.

During the latest race, Leclerc faced a challenging moment as he approached Turn 15 with 33 minutes left on the clock. The pressure was on as he pushed the limits of his Ferrari, entering the corner with excessive speed which led to a critical error.

"I took the dirt on the outside," The Italian Grand Prix winner expressed his frustration over the team radio, highlighting the challenges posed by the temporary street circuit's dirty conditions and low grip, a sentiment echoed by other teams.

During the session, Colapinto encountered a setback as he hit the barriers at Turn four, causing his car's back end to snap around and collide with the wall.

Notably, the Argentine driver was embarking on only his second race weekend, having stepped in to replace the dropped American driver Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the season.

Following a brief interruption due to the incident, the session resumed with 11 minutes remaining, culminating in Verstappen setting the fastest time at the end. The team's recent floor upgrade seemed to be yielding positive results as Red Bull aimed to bounce back from their early season struggles.

Meanwhile, McLaren's Lando Norris, who trails Verstappen by 62 points in the championship standings with eight races left, secured the fourth fastest time. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and McLaren's Oscar Piastri completed the top six.

Seventh fastest was Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, followed by Mercedes' George Russell in eighth and Leclerc of Ferrari in ninth place, despite missing a significant portion of the session. Daniel Ricciardo rounded off the top 10 for Red Bull.

Noteworthy was British teenager Oliver Bearman's debut for Haas, standing in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen. Bearman posted the 11th fastest time, edging out his teammate Nico Hulkenberg by 0.162 seconds.

Additionally, Alpine's Esteban Ocon encountered power issues early on, forcing him to cut his session short

Free Practice 2

September 13, 2024

Charles Leclerc made headlines in Baku as he not only logged the fastest time in FP2 but also managed to do so despite a crash earlier in the day. The Ferrari driver's resilience was on full display as he recovered from hitting the wall to set a blistering lap time of 1:43.484, securing the top spot in the second practice session.

His performance was particularly impressive considering he had missed a significant portion of the first session due to the incident.

Meanwhile, Red Bull showed signs of improvement after a series of lackluster results, with Sergio Pérez coming in just 0.006 seconds behind Leclerc. Despite a strong showing in the first practice, Max Verstappen faced challenges in FP2, dropping to sixth place and struggling with understeer issues.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton also had a solid performance, finishing third fastest for Mercedes. The competition in Baku proved to be fierce, with the top drivers pushing the limits on the challenging city circuit.

The day was not without its share of incidents, as red flags were raised multiple times during the practice sessions. From debris on the track to crashes involving Leclerc and Williams' Franco Colapinto, the drivers had to navigate various challenges throughout the day.

Leclerc's crash at Turn 15 served as a reminder of the fine margins in Formula 1, where precision and control are paramount. Despite the setback, his ability to bounce back and set the pace in FP2 underscored his talent and determination to succeed in the competitive world of motorsport.

"I took the dirt on the outside,"

The winner of the Italian Grand Prix expressed his frustration over the team radio regarding the condition of the temporary street circuit, highlighting concerns shared by other teams about the track being dirty and having low grip.

During the race, Colapinto encountered a challenging moment when he hit the barriers at Turn 4 with 18 minutes remaining, causing his car's back end to snap around and collide with the wall.

It was only the second race weekend for the Argentine driver, who had stepped in to replace Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the season.

Following a brief interruption, the session resumed with 11 minutes left on the clock, ultimately concluding with Verstappen setting the fastest time. Red Bull's recent floor upgrade seemed to be proving effective as they aimed to regain their early-season competitiveness.

Lando Norris of McLaren, currently the closest contender to Verstappen in the championship standings but trailing by 62 points, showed promising pace by finishing fourth in the first practice session. However, he faced challenges in the second session, ending up in 17th place after being obstructed by Pierre Gasly of Alpine.

British newcomer Oliver Bearman debuted for Haas in place of the suspended Kevin Magnussen, impressively posting the 11th fastest time in the first practice session, outpacing his teammate Nico Hülkenberg by 0.162 seconds.

Bearman continued to showcase his potential by finishing 10th in the second session, while Hülkenberg secured the eighth spot.

Esteban Ocon of Alpine faced technical issues early on, reporting a power loss that forced him to end his first session prematurely. The French driver struggled in the subsequent session, finishing in 19th place.

Free Practice 3

September 14, 2024

George Russell set the fastest time during the final practice session leading up to the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix, showcasing Mercedes' potential for a strong qualifying performance.

His impressive lap time of one minute and 42.514 seconds at the challenging Baku City Circuit put him ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by a mere 0.013 seconds.

Notably, Leclerc has a history of securing pole position in Baku over the past three seasons, adding an exciting element to the upcoming qualifying battle between the two talented drivers.

Russell's unexpected performance caught the attention of many, especially considering the evolving track conditions that favored faster lap times as the session progressed.  "the ride feels terrible down the straight under braking."

McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Oscar Piastri showed strong performance in the practice sessions, securing the third and fourth fastest times respectively. This placed them ahead of Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen, who currently holds a significant 62-point lead over Norris in the standings with eight rounds left in the season.

Verstappen's dominance was evident in Friday's first practice session, making it three different teams that had topped the practice sessions in Baku before heading into Saturday's crucial qualifying session.

Meanwhile, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz secured the sixth position, while Red Bull's Sergio Pérez finished seventh on a day that saw some rain showers adding complexity to the track conditions.

The Williams duo of Alex Albon and rookie Franco Colapinto impressed by securing the eighth and ninth spots respectively, while Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton completed the top 10 lineup.

The session was briefly halted due to red flags caused by Esteban Ocon's Alpine encountering a power loss early on, preventing any timed laps from being set. The situation was further complicated when British rookie Oliver Bearman, filling in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen at Haas, made a misjudgment at turn one, hitting the wall after failing to navigate the corner successfully.

Despite the challenges faced during the practice sessions, the competitive spirit among the drivers promises an exciting and unpredictable race weekend in Baku.