14:07
See you later!
For now, that’s it from Formula 1 in Baku. It continues at 4:00 p.m. with the 2nd training session. We’ll be there live again. Until then!
14:06
Vettel still has to improve
Sebastian Vettel drove a different program than the majority of the field and first set the fast lap on the soft before going on the medium. With that, no more than 14th place was possible. With Mick Schumacher, however, training ended early after a defect on the Haas. Not ideal, because you can use every minute of training, especially on city circuits.
14:03
Pérez in a good mood
After the first training session, it seems that Sergio Pérez has brought his momentum from Monaco to Baku. The Mexican starts the weekend with a good performance. For his part, Max Verstappen is still dissatisfied. On his inlap there was another spin in turn 14 and a request to take a closer look at the car during the break. The Bulls’ big competitors are once again the Ferrari drivers. Mercedes put both drivers in the top ten but couldn’t put any pressure on them yet.
60
14:02
End of 1st training session
The 1st practice session on the Baku City Circuit is over and after a practice start, the drivers head back to the pits. Fourth is Carlos Sainz in front of Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton is sixth. The top ten is completed by Yuki Tsunoda, George Russell, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
60
14:01
Sergio Pérez wins the 1st practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
The time has expired. The best time in practice 1 was set by Sergio Pérez, who clocked a 1:45.476. Charles Leclerc is 0.127 seconds behind. Max Verstappen was 0.3 seconds behind his teammate.
58
13:57
The last few minutes are running
The last minutes of training have begun. Many put in a mini long run. But there won’t be any improvement.
54
13:54
Leclerc separates the Red Bull
Charles Leclerc has meanwhile been able to sit in second position. He is 0.127 seconds short of Sergio Pérez. Max Verstappen is 0.3 seconds behind.
52
13:52
Ricciardo at the end of the field
Daniel Ricciardo is under pressure at McLaren again this year. So far he hasn’t been able to keep up with team-mate Norris and he hasn’t had a great start to the weekend in Baku either. Ricciardo is in 18th place and only Latifi and Schumacher, who retired early after defects, are slower.
50
1:50 p.m
traffic an issue
Traffic is also an issue again on the circuit in Baku. Leclerc expressed frustration a few minutes ago because Russell was in his way. Now Sebastian Vettel sends a hand signal in the direction of one of the two AlphaTauri.
46
1:45 p.m
Vettel slips out of the top ten
While Leclerc has now moved up to second place, Vettel has slipped out of the top ten. The Heppenheimer had driven a different program and is currently on the medium.
43
13:43
Leclerc doesn’t come by
In his first attempt, Charles Leclerc can’t get past Sergio Pérez. However, the lap of the Monegasque was not clean. Leclerc struggled with traffic and a braking error.
42
13:42
Mercedes far behind
The two Mercedes drivers are currently far behind. George Russell can be found in eighth place, 2.2 seconds behind the fastest rider. Lewis Hamilton is currently 3.5 seconds behind. However, he has only ridden the Medium so far.
39
13:39
New best lap by Sergio Pérez
Sergio Pérez sets a new best lap time, with a 1:45.476, passing Verstappen by 0.3 seconds. Carlos Sainz is 0.5 seconds short of his first soft lap.
38
13:38
Vettel sits in top ten
Sebastian Vettel drove the soft at the beginning and is now on the medium. But there is still one improvement from him and he can move up to eighth place.
37
13:38
Pit radio Max Verstappen
“The wind is really unbelievable,” radios Verstappen. A repeat shows how much the Red Bull’s rear wing wobbles under DRS.
36
13:36
Max Verstappen’s new best lap
Max Verstappen sets a new best lap time on the softest compound. He had needed 1:45.810 minutes. Charles Leclerc is still in the box. Sainz’s second Ferrari is just driving out again.
34
13:34
Stroll in the emergency exit
Lance Stroll briefly causes yellow flags. The Canadian ended up in the emergency exit in turn 4. But nothing happened and he can continue his journey.
32
13:31
Verstappen on softs
Max Verstappen also drove out again and is now testing the softest tire compound on the car for the first time this weekend. It’s slowly getting fuller again on the asphalt strip of Baku.
30
1:30 p.m
Pit radio Pierre Gasly
Pierre Gasly reports over the radio, strong jumping on the long straight. “Thanks for the feedback,” replies his engineer, adding that everyone else is struggling with bouncing as well.
29
13:29
Magnussen with Soft
Kevin Magnussen is back on the track with fresh softs and can improve a few places with the softest compound.
25
13:25
Lots in the boxes
Shortly before the halfway point of the race, things calmed down on the track. Most of the field is in the garages after the first runs.
22
13:22
Max Verstappen’s new best lap
Max Verstappen uses this right away and sets the new best time with a 1:46.477. Sergio Pérez is 0.068 seconds behind in second place. Leclerc is third ahead of Gasly and Tsunoda. Vettel is currently in 14th place, but is currently in the pits.
20
13:20
Route released
The route is open again and you can go full throttle everywhere again.
18
13:18
Leclerc almost there
Charles Leclerc has meanwhile improved his best time and is only 0.067 seconds behind Max Verstappen.
16
13:16
Virtual Safety Car
The virtual safety car is used once again. This time because of Nicholas Latifi, who is in the emergency exit at Turn 5. “The car just died,” he radioed to his pits.
14
13:15
Pit radio Max Verstappen
“The wind is pretty wild,” comments Max Verstappen over his radio. The race in Baku is known for the fact that there is often a lot of wind here.
14
13:14
Leclerc is working his way up
Charles Leclerc works his way up to Verstappen with the Ferrari by 0.7 seconds. Not bad considering he’s on the hard tyre.
13.
13:13
Wall Kiss by Stroll
Lance Stroll runs wide at Turn 4 and briefly touches the wall. Seems like he got away without much damage though. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton is in the turn 4 emergency exit.
12.
13:12
Max Verstappen’s new best lap
Max Verstappen pushes the lap time down. He now clocks a 1:46.932. There is also an increase in teammates. Fernando Alonso is third, 1.4 seconds behind. Vettel, for his part, was dropped back to ninth place.
11.
13:11
Route reopened
The route is open again. Verstappen remains the leader with a 1:48.574. 0.9 seconds behind is Sergio Pérez. Sebastian Vettel just managed to improve to fifth place.
8th.
13:09
Virtual Safety Car
The virtual safety car is deployed while the car is being pushed off the track. Meanwhile, replays show how water literally runs out of the Haas while driving. There must have been something bigger on the car. This is of course annoying for Schumacher, because he loses a lot of time on the street circuit.
7.
13:08
Defect at Mick Schumacher
Defect at Mick Schumacher! The Haas pilot is standing in one of the emergency exits. There is a problem with the water pressure, as it says over the radio.
5.
13:05
Max Verstappen’s new best lap
Charles Leclerc sets a 1:51.632. A little later, Verstappen crosses the line and is immediately much faster. The Dutchman needed 1:48.574 minutes for his lap. But that doesn’t have to mean anything yet, because Verstappen is known for finding his way around a track quickly. Leclerc also runs the hardest tire.
4.
13:04
First lap times are set
The first lap times are set. Valtteri Bottas delivers the 1:53.677. But it will certainly go down significantly there. Leclerc and Verstappen, among others, are currently on the move quickly.
3.
13:03
The whole field on the way
Now the entire field is on the move. The Red Bull, Russell, Albon and Magnussen were among the last to take to the track.
2.
13:00
Many drivers follow
It doesn’t take long for more and more riders to take to the track. Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have meanwhile also moved their cars out of the pit lane.
1.
13:00
Start 1st workout
The traffic lights are green, the start of the 1st training session in Baku has taken place. Sainz, Ocon and Bottas are the first drivers to enter the street circuit.
12:57 p.m
The weather
The track in Baku has already warmed up to 43 degrees before the start of the first practice session. The air temperature is 26 degrees. Rain is not expected for the weekend.
12:53
Mercedes in wait
Mercedes find themselves in a new role this season. The Silver Arrows slipped into a chasing role due to the stubborn W13 and have had to deal with many problems on the race weekends so far. Mercedes newcomer George Russell, who is fourth in the World Championship, copes best with the difficult balance of the car. Lewis Hamilton, however, also has to make friends with a new role within the team and has been able to score significantly less in the season so far.
12:49 p.m
Will there be another top result in Baku?
Sebastian Vettel should come to Baku with good memories. Last year, the Heppenheimer delivered strong results on the circuit and most recently Vettel was able to score points in Imola and Monte Carlo, which put him significantly better than team-mate Lance Stroll.
12:43 p.m
Mick Schumacher under pressure
Mick Schumacher is coming under more and more pressure this season. With Kevin Magnussen, the German youngster has an experienced driver at his side, against whom he has not been able to stand out so far. There were also two serious total write-offs. After the Monaco weekend, team boss Günther Steiner poured out clear criticism and a warning for Baku: Schumacher must avoid damage as much as possible in order not to lose Steiner’s favor even further.
12:37 p.m
Pérez with a tailwind to Baku
Sergio Pérez comes with a powerful tailwind. The Mexican was able to dust off victory in Monaco and ensures that there is no longer just a duel between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in the World Cup. Pérez is only 15 points behind his team-mate, and there was also a reason to celebrate the extension of his contract with Red Bull. Now it will be interesting to see how things will go for Pérez on the street circuit in Baku.
12:30 p.m
Second city race in a row
After the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, the next city race in Baku will take place. The Baku City Circuit measures 6.003 kilometers. At the beginning, four 90-degree bends await the drivers, then it goes into the old town, where the track has the narrowest passages. The 2.2-kilometer straight awaits at the end.
Warm welcome!
After Monaco with the Azerbaijan GP, Formula 1 continues directly with the next street circuit. The first 60 minutes of training starts at 1:00 p.m.