DEEP DIVE: Azerbaijan GP FP1 & FP2 review as McLaren and Ferrari dominate

The streets of Baku once again delivered a dramatic opening to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, with Friday’s practice sessions offering a tale of two halves. McLaren started strong in FP1, only to stumble in FP2 as Ferrari surged to the top of the timesheets. Mercedes showed encouraging pace, Haas delivered a surprise, and the usual chaos of Baku’s walls claimed its share of victims. With qualifying looming, the picture is far from clear — but the stage is set for one of the most unpredictable Saturdays of the season.

FP1 Recap: McLaren Rings the Opening Bell

Friday’s FP1 set the tone in Baku. McLaren again showed strong form:

• Lando Norris led the way with a 1:42.704, ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri by 0.310 seconds. 

• Charles Leclerc was third, making clear that Ferrari is also in the mix when it comes to Saturday pace. 

• There were incidents: Lewis Hamilton clipped the barrier and had a damaged front wing, ending the session in 13th. 

• Other solid times came from George Russell (Mercedes), Alex Albon (Williams), Yuki Tsunoda, and Max Verstappen within the top 7-8.

FP1 suggested McLaren are in their usual strong Saturday mood, but with Ferrari close behind and others waiting to pounce.

FP2: Hamilton & Ferrari Dominate, McLaren Stumble

FP2 brought shifts. Ferrari flipped the script in the second session:

• Lewis Hamilton topped the FP2 timesheets with a 1:41.293, narrowly beating Charles Leclerc by 0.074 seconds. A Ferrari 1-2 has raised eyebrows and hopes.

• George Russell and Kimi Antonelli (both with Mercedes) claimed 3rd and 4th respectively, showing Mercedes may have found something as well.

• Oliver Bearman (Haas) impressed in 5th, outperforming Max Verstappen, who ended up 6th. Bearman’s performance is notable given his rookie status and relative inexperience.

Meanwhile, McLaren had a tougher go in FP2:

• Lando Norris crashed into the wall and damaged his rear suspension. He couldn’t return to get a strong time, finishing the session in 10th. 

• Oscar Piastri also struck the wall (at Turn 15) and ended FP2 in 12th, a reminder that Baku’s margins are thin and mistakes costly.

Other drivers further down had mixed sessions: some made up time late, others got caught out by tricky track conditions or traffic. But looking up, Ferrari look surprisingly sharp, and Mercedes look competitive enough to spoil Ferrari’s weekend.

Best & Worst Performers

Best

• Lewis Hamilton: Ranking fastest in FP2 (and leading a Ferrari 1-2) was a strong showing; suggests Ferrari have something in their qualifying setup. 

• Charles Leclerc: Close behind Hamilton, consistent, and doing what he does well: extracting maximum in one-laps.

• Oliver Bearman: Great to see Haas (and a rookie) up in the mix. Consistency + pace = value.

Struggling / Under Pressure

• McLaren (Piastri & Norris): From dominating FP1 to hitting walls and losing margin in FP2—McLaren will want to resolve whatever is costing them in FP2 if they’re going to hold pole or capitalise on qualifying.

• Lando Norris especially: his crash was expensive—not just in lost time, but in disrupting rhythm and setup work.

• Several midfield/outside drivers will be hoping their FP2 laps are enough to at least make Q3; the top-teams seem close to the edge.

Qualifying Prediction: What to Expect On Saturday

Based on what’s come out of practice:

• Pole battle: Expect Ferrari and McLaren to be front-runners. Hamilton has shown pace, Leclerc has averaging qualifying history in Baku, and both look confident. If one of them nails their final lap, they could take pole. Whilst Piastri and Norris, despite FP2 struggles will have the pace to put themselves on pole.

• Big threat: Mercedes (Russell, Antonelli) might disrupt the front row if they manage a clean qualifying session. McLaren, unless they fix their FP2 issues, may slip just off the front row.

• Top 5 potentials:

  1. Charles Leclerc

  2. Lewis Hamilton

  3. George Russell

  4. Oscar Piastri

  5. Lando Norris

  6. Max Verstappen

• Wildcard: Oliver Bearman or possibly Liam Lawson if they get a clean final run.

Final Thoughts

FP1 gave us what many expected: McLaren strength and a healthy gap. FP2 threw up intrigue: Ferrari looking more complete in qualifying trim, McLaren scratching their heads, and the usual chaos of Baku with crashes reminding everyone how thin the line is between a fast lap and damage.

Qualifying looks set to be tight. Ferrari are in form. Mercedes look dangerous. McLaren have work to do. If I had to pick, I’d lean toward Leclerc taking pole, with Hamilton and the McLaren’s close behind—and maybe a threat from Russell squeezing. But in Baku, nothing is guaranteed.