Event: Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix
Track: Baku street circuit

Weather: dry  28.9°C
Tarmac: dry  40.5°C
Humidity: 48%
Wind: 5.0 m/s South

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024: Verstappen Tops Disrupted FP1 as Crashes Halt Action

The 2024 Formula 1 season reached the challenging streets of Baku for Round 17, with a dramatic opening practice session ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Max Verstappen claimed the top spot, but the session was heavily disrupted by red flags due to multiple incidents on track.

Verstappen Quickest in Chaotic Session

Max Verstappen set the pace during FP1, posting a fastest lap of 1:45.546. The Red Bull driver finished three-tenths ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, while Sergio Perez secured third. Despite the result, it was far from a straightforward session, as the tricky Baku street circuit saw several interruptions.

Hamilton momentarily topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:45.859, but Verstappen responded with a late flyer to snatch P1. This session showcased the competitiveness of the top teams, with McLaren, Mercedes, and Ferrari all featuring in the top four positions.

Crashes and Red Flags Dominate

Charles Leclerc triggered one of three red flags when he crashed into the barriers at Turn 15. The Ferrari driver, who has been on pole here for the last three years, carried too much speed into the corner, damaging his front wing. Fortunately, Leclerc walked away from the incident unharmed, though Ferrari will have repairs to make before the second practice session.

Williams’ Franco Colapinto also found himself in the walls at Turn 4. Colapinto lost the rear end of his car and slid sideways into the barriers, bringing out another red flag. Like Leclerc, Colapinto apologized over the radio to his team as he climbed out of the car, leaving Williams with a hefty rebuild job before FP2.

Adding to the disruption, Esteban Ocon’s session was cut short due to a power unit issue with his Alpine. The Frenchman managed to coast back to the pits but did not set a timed lap, leaving Alpine with work to do ahead of the afternoon session.

Bearman Steps in for Magnussen at Haas

In a notable driver change, Oliver Bearman is racing for Haas this weekend, filling in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen received a one-race ban after accumulating 12 penalty points following the previous round at Monza. Bearman, the young British driver, adapted well to his Haas car, finishing in the top ten during FP1, despite the challenging conditions.

Teams Face Challenges Ahead of FP2

The teams now face a race against time to prepare their cars for FP2, which begins at 17:00 local time. Ferrari, Alpine, and Williams all have repairs to make, while others will be working to extract more pace from their setups. The disrupted session means that crucial data collection was limited, leaving teams with much to learn as they head into qualifying.

With three teams in the hunt for pole position and a track prone to incidents, the excitement is building for what promises to be a thrilling weekend of racing in Baku.

The quickest sector times during this FP1 were:

  1. Sector 1: 37.434 sec. by Max Verstappen, Red Bull RB20.
  2. Sector 2: 42.577 sec. by Max Verstappen, Red Bull RB20.
  3. Sector 3: 25.008 sec. by Fernando Aloonso, Aston Martin AMR23.

Last year the quickest lap time during FP1 was a 1:42.315 min, driven by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull.

FP1 Times Table 2024 Azerbaijan GP

PNoDriverTeamTime1st GapLapsTyres
11Max VerstappenRed Bull1:45,54621S
244Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:45,859+0,313s19S
311Sergio PérezRed Bull1:45,859+0,313s17S
44Lando NorrisMcLaren1:46,027+0,481s18S
555Carlos SainzFerrari1:46,173+0,627s21S
681Oscar PiastriMcLaren1:46,282+0,736s18S
714Fernando AlonsoAston Martin1:46,452+0,906s19S
863George RussellMercedes1:46,516+0,970s18S
916Charles LeclercFerrari1:46,608+1,062s11M
103Daniel RicciardoRacing Bulls1:46,687+1,141s23S
1140Liam LawsonRacing Bulls1:46,973+1,427s23S
1250Oliver BearmanHaas1:47,135+1,589s20S
1327Nico HülkenbergHaas1:47,184+1,638s15S
1418Lance StrollAston Martin1:47,640+2,094s18S
1577Valtteri BottasSauber1:47,708+2,162s21S
1622Yuki TsunodaRacing Bulls1:47,901+2,355s12S
1743Franco ColapintoWilliams1:47,955+2,409s17S
1823Alex AlbonWilliams1:48,712+3,166s21M
1924Zhou GuanyuSauber1:49,052+3,506s19S
2031Esteban OconAlpineno time-3H

✅ Check out our 2024 Azerbaijan F1 GP preview


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One F1 fan comment on “Report & Results First Free Practice 2024 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix

  1. Jere Jyrälä

    Colapinto's error shows that making definitive conclusions based on a single GP, especially when Monza is the location in question, is always unworthy.

    Reply

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