Ferrari Opens Baku FP1 With a Strong P3-P4
While Sainz’s Williams Catches Fire and Antonelli Loses Crucial Running
The opening session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku delivered a little bit of everything: Ferrari immediately placed both cars inside the top four, Carlos Sainz had a frightening rear-brake fire, and championship leader Kimi Antonelli saw his Mercedes session cut short by a hydraulic failure.
For Ferrari, however, the headline after FP1 is considerably more encouraging.
Charles Leclerc finished third, with Lewis Hamilton fourth, as Ferrari elected to run its quickest laps on the medium compound rather than the soft tyres used by George Russell and Max Verstappen. Russell ultimately topped the session with a 1:45.387, Verstappen was second at +0.400s, Leclerc +0.404s and Hamilton +0.437s. �
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That makes Ferrari’s opening position particularly difficult to read — but potentially more interesting than the raw timing sheet suggests.
Ferrari’s P3 and P4 Come Without the Soft Tyre
Leclerc’s third place and Hamilton’s fourth are worth putting into context.
Both Ferraris set their fastest times on medium tyres, while Russell and Verstappen used the softer compound for their benchmark laps. That means Ferrari did not necessarily show its maximum single-lap performance in FP1.
Leclerc was only 0.404 seconds from Russell despite that tyre difference, while Hamilton was another 0.033 seconds behind his teammate. �
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The session also came with a circuit that was still dirty and slippery early on. Baku’s 6.003-kilometre street circuit was particularly difficult in the opening phase, with several drivers reporting braking problems. Track temperatures reached approximately 50°C, adding another variable to tyre and brake management. �
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So Ferrari has emerged from FP1 with a respectable baseline — but there is still a significant amount of information missing from the timing sheet.
Then There Was Carlos Sainz — Literally on Fire
Carlos Sainz’s opening session was considerably more dramatic.
The Spaniard, now driving for Williams, was forced into the pits after his right-rear brake caught fire. Flames became visible around the rear of the FW48 as he returned to the garage, with the Williams mechanics quickly responding with fire extinguishers. �
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Importantly, there is no confirmed public evidence yet identifying the precise component failure that caused the fire.
What is known is that the problem was concentrated around the rear braking area. Williams was expected to inspect the brake ducts and rear suspension after the incident, particularly given the extreme temperatures and the number of drivers experiencing unusual braking behaviour during the session. �
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Several other drivers reported braking difficulties in FP1, meaning Sainz’s fire shouldn’t automatically be interpreted as an isolated design failure. Hadjar and Piastri were among those reporting braking issues, while Alex Albon also complained about inconsistent braking behaviour. �
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So what may have caused Sainz’s fire?
At this stage, the responsible answer is we don’t know yet.
The most obvious areas for Williams to investigate are the rear brake assembly, brake cooling and associated components. The combination of Baku’s heavy braking zones, high ambient/track temperatures and a dusty, low-grip surface creates a particularly demanding environment for the braking system.
But until Williams identifies the failed or overheated component, saying that one specific part caused the fire would be speculation.
Despite the drama, Sainz eventually returned to the circuit and finished 12th, recording a 1:46.893. �
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Kimi Antonelli’s Hydraulic Failure Is the Bigger Championship Story
Then came Kimi Antonelli.
The Mercedes driver — and current championship leader — had actually shown strong early pace. After approximately 15 minutes, Antonelli moved to the top of the timing sheets with a 1:46.265 on the hard tyre. �
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But shortly before the halfway point of the session, his Mercedes W17 developed a hydraulic problem.
Antonelli reported the loss of hydraulics over team radio before bringing the car to a halt around Turn 7. The failure triggered a Virtual Safety Car while marshals dealt with the stricken Mercedes. �
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And this is where the problem becomes significant.
Antonelli was fifth on the final FP1 classification, but that position doesn’t tell the whole story. He was classified ahead of Oscar Piastri despite losing the second half of his session, and crucially, he did not get the opportunity to complete the representative soft-tyre performance run that the leaders used to establish their final times. �
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What Did It Cost the Young Driver?
Potentially quite a lot of preparation — but not yet a major championship setback.
Antonelli lost valuable track time at a circuit where understanding the evolving grip level is particularly important. He also missed the opportunity to evaluate the car on the soft tyre, meaning Mercedes has less information from his side of the garage about qualifying-style performance.
That matters because Baku rewards confidence. The driver needs to understand how aggressively he can attack the braking zones, how the tyres behave when pushed and how much margin exists around the narrow sections of the circuit.
Antonelli therefore leaves FP1 with an unusual situation: fifth on the timing sheet, but without a complete FP1 programme.
The good news for Mercedes is that George Russell completed the session and went fastest, giving the team a substantial amount of data from the W17. �
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And with only one practice session completed, Antonelli still has time to recover the lost information.
Ferrari’s Real Position Is Still Hidden
That may actually be the most interesting takeaway from FP1.
The classification says:
1. George Russell — Mercedes
2. Max Verstappen — Red Bull
3. Charles Leclerc — Ferrari
4. Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari
5. Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes
But the tyre strategies make that order difficult to treat as a genuine performance ranking.
Ferrari put both drivers into the top four without using the soft tyre for their fastest laps, while Mercedes and Red Bull extracted their headline times on softer rubber. �
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That leaves Ferrari with a potentially useful starting point heading into the next session.
The bigger concern is elsewhere: Baku FP1 has already demonstrated that brakes, hydraulics and reliability may be just as important as outright pace.
Sainz’s Williams caught fire.
Antonelli’s Mercedes lost its hydraulics.
Several drivers complained about their brakes.
And even Russell, the session’s fastest driver, had his own moment when he ran into the escape road and narrowly avoided the barriers. �
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For Ferrari, meanwhile, Leclerc and Hamilton quietly completed a relatively clean session and emerged P3 and P4.
That doesn’t make Ferrari the fastest car in Baku yet.
But it does mean that after a chaotic opening hour, the Scuderia has plenty of reasons to keep watching the timing screens.
