The 2025 Formula 1 season returned to the Baku city streets on Friday with the start of Free Practice 1 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The session quickly highlighted McLaren’s pace, with Liam Lawson showcasing a notable performance, placing him firmly in the top ten of the timesheets amid strong competition.
Oscar Piastri, last year’s race winner and current championship leader, arrived aiming to replicate his recent success. However, his McLaren teammate Lando Norris was the standout early on, setting the fastest lap and securing McLaren’s dominance in the opening session.
Intense Battle for Early Supremacy on the Streets
The session began with rapid changes atop the leaderboard, typical of Baku’s unpredictable nature. Max Verstappen initially grabbed the lead with a lap of 1:46.121 before George Russell in his Mercedes edged ahead. Meanwhile, newcomer Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls briefly captured attention with a 1:45.904 but soon was overtaken by Nico Hülkenberg and then Norris, who pushed the pace to the mid-1:44s. Verstappen responded by closing to within a tenth of Norris’s time, with Charles Leclerc slotting in just 0.040 seconds behind, setting up a fierce competition among the top three.
Unfortunately for Piastri, the session took a troubling turn early when he was called back to the garage after just one outlap. Removing his helmet and gloves indicated mechanical trouble, later confirmed by McLaren as an engine issue.
Disruptions and Delays Affect Track Time
George Russell reclaimed the top spot for a brief moment before Norris extended his lead with a 1:43.747 lap, putting him nearly four tenths clear of others. Shortly after, the session was interrupted due to a dislodged kerbing caused by Carlos Sainz running wide, prompting race control to deploy the red flag with 46 minutes remaining.
The stoppage lasted 25 minutes as marshals and FIA officials worked to secure the damaged kerb, significantly reducing valuable running time for all drivers. This delay allowed McLaren to address Piastri’s engine problem, enabling him to return to the track, though he remained over a second slower than his teammate initially.
Liam Lawson Impresses in His First Baku Formula 1 Appearance
After the session resumed with just over 20 minutes left, Liam Lawson, making his Formula 1 debut in Baku but with previous experience in Formula 2 at the venue, rose to fourth place in Racing Bulls’ car. Norris then reinforced McLaren’s pace with a blistering 1:42.704, outpacing Verstappen by over a second and Piastri by 1.1 seconds. Despite brushing the wall on his flying lap, Piastri improved to third, closing within three tenths of Norris’s lead.
“Piastri gives the Turn 15 TechPro barriers a hefty hit but he escapes unscathed #F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/w8upS1jbwD”
— Formula 1 (@F1)
Closing Laps See Shifts in the Leaderboard
In the final moments, Charles Leclerc surged into second place, trailing Norris by half a second. Yuki Tsunoda produced a strong late lap to claim fifth in his Red Bull, finishing narrowly ahead of Verstappen, who settled for seventh as Red Bull struggled to find extra speed.
Carlos Sainz bounced back from his earlier kerb incident to secure eighth place behind Albon’s Williams, while Liam Lawson held onto tenth, edging out teammate Hadjar. The session ended on a tough note for Lewis Hamilton, who damaged his Ferrari’s front wing and suffered a puncture after clipping the wall and having to return to the pits limping.
McLaren Establishes Dominance as Early Favorites in Baku
At the flag, McLaren emerged as the team to beat in Free Practice 1, with Norris in front by over three tenths ahead of Piastri. Leclerc, Russell, and Albon rounded out the top five, highlighting the competitive midfield battle. Verstappen’s seventh place indicates ongoing challenges for Red Bull as they look to optimize performance before qualifying.
The next session, Free Practice 2, is set to commence within hours, providing another opportunity for teams to refine their setups ahead of a potentially thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.
Piastri gives the Turn 15 TechPro barriers a hefty hit but he escapes unscathed #F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/w8upS1jbwD
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 19, 2025
