Hamilton Leads Ferrari 1-2 in Azerbaijan GP Practice as Norris Crash Proves ‘Costly’
Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in Friday practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading a Ferrari one-two with Charles Leclerc closely behind. However, the session wasn’t without its drama, as Lando Norris lamented a crash that he described as costly.
Norris’s incident occurred at Turn Four during his qualifying simulation run, resulting in a broken left rear suspension. The British driver, currently trailing teammate Oscar Piastri by 31 points in the championship standings, was unable to return to the track after the incident, ultimately finishing the session in 10th place. The mishap prevented Norris from completing his high-fuel run, a crucial part of the practice that allows drivers to assess their car’s performance under race conditions.
A costly one, Norris admitted. Especially here. It was feeling good until then. I’d rather have this and push and find the limits than not push at all. I have to push and find the limit. Annoying. He added, I would have liked to get some high fuel laps in especially on these tyres, a softer compound compared to last year.
McLaren’s Tricky Session and Pirelli’s Tire Choice
It wasn’t a smooth session for McLaren overall. Piastri also had a brush with the wall, although he thankfully avoided any damage to his car. Piastri finished the session in 12th place, and also missed time in the earlier practice session because of an engine issue. A subsequent lengthy red-flag period to repair track damage somewhat saved him from further impact to his session.
A bit tricky, Piastri conceded. A bit up and down. The pace is there, just not the easiest to get the most out of it. We tried a few things in P2. We will look back and see what we can change for tomorrow. It is going to be different with tyre choices and stuff like that.
Piastri’s comments refer to Pirelli’s decision to bring the three softest tire compounds to Baku, only the third time this season this strategy has been used. In previous races with this selection, the performance difference between the soft and medium tires has been minimal, potentially impacting strategy and race pace.
Norris explained the challenge, noting: The track’s very different to last year and it’s a softer compound we don’t use that often – Monaco, Imola. I am behind on the learnings. He continued, A scrappy session from my side and Oscar’s side. He seemed to be struggling a little bit with the car as well, we will see what we can make up tomorrow.
Ferrari’s Pace and Red Bull’s Potential
Despite McLaren’s struggles in practice, Norris still expects a strong showing from their rivals: Ferrari were easily the quickest here last year even though Oscar won. Ferrari will be quick. Red Bull are going to be quick. They are never good on Friday. They go to sleep and then they wake up and they are quick again.
Hamilton’s leading time was aided by a slipstream from Leclerc, allowing him to edge out his Ferrari rival by a mere 0.074 seconds. Mercedes hinted as using slipstreams in qualifying, while Leclerc has a strong history in Baku, securing pole position in the last four races there.
While McLaren’s true pace was masked by driver errors, Piastri demonstrated good speed in the longer race-simulation runs, suggesting the team still has the potential to be a frontrunner this weekend.
Verstappen’s Optimism and Russell’s Close Call
Max Verstappen, the reigning champion and winner of the previous race, finished the session in sixth place, 0.609 seconds behind Hamilton. However, the Red Bull driver remained optimistic: What was positive for us was the car felt quite good so it definitely seems like we found a stable balance, and that is what we need.
He acknowledged the unique challenges of the Baku street circuit: This track is very particular in its layout. Everything needs to come together to try to produce a good lap. Verstappen also highlighted the importance of tire management and slipstreaming: The long run felt OK. It is always going to be slippery around here. Tough on the tyres with the softer compounds but it seemed not too bad… It seems like Ferrari are really on it. I do expect a few teams to be quite close, and then it all comes down to driving a perfect lap or getting your tyres in, which is always difficult around here. And then with such a long straight if you get lucky with a little bit of a tow you gain 0.2secs easily and that can also make quite a big difference.
George Russell also had a heart-stopping moment, experiencing a significant oversteer out of Turn 12 and making contact with the barrier. Fortunately, the Mercedes driver escaped without any damage to his car.
Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls, Esteban Ocon in one of the Haas cars, Alex Albon in the Williams, and eventually Norris rounded out the top ten. The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises more excitement
Determining a Strategy After a Costly Crash
Costly isn’t just the term describing Norris’s incident. Teams will be analyzing the data collected during these practice sessions to refine their strategies for qualifying and the race. Tire degradation, slipstream factors, and individual driver performances will all play a role in determining the optimal approach. Expect to see some strategic variations as teams look to gain an edge on their rivals. As for Norris though, he will have to put in extra effort to recover.
