Kimi Antonelli believes that his performance in practice ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix “was a good recovery”, after the Mercedes driver suffered a mechanical issue which curtailed much of his running. The Italian enters this weekend with an 81-point lead in the drivers' standings after his victory last time out in Madrid, but found himself on the back foot on Thursday in Baku. Antonelli suffered a hydraulic issue aboard his Mercedes approaching the halfway point of Free Practice 1 that ended his participation in the one-hour session....

Williams Team Principal James Vowles believes the major new upgrade the squad brought to Baku is a “step in the right direction, but not enough”. It has been a difficult season so far for the Grove-based outfit, with development delays forcing them to miss the Barcelona Shakedown while their performance has been hampered by an overweight car. Despite those difficulties, Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon have managed to get 11 points on the board in the early races but, since Monaco, they have failed to score anything....

Cadillac have announced several changes to their technical leadership to be implemented over the coming months, with three figures set to join from rival teams such as Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes. Having made their debut as a Formula 1 team this season, Cadillac have focused on building a robust foundation that they hope will enable them to make progress towards fighting at the front as their experience grows. As part of that ambition, they have already made a major switch in replacing Graeme Lowdon with Marcin Budkowski in the Team Principal role, owing to his previous stints at multiple championship-winning teams....

Isack Hadjar smiled that his Red Bull car felt “better than when I left it” at July’s Hungarian Grand Prix after returning to action during Thursday practice around the Baku City Circuit. Hadjar missed events at Zandvoort, Monza and the all-new Madring track over the last month, having injured his wrist while training in the summer break. However, he was finally able to get back into the cockpit of his RB22 in Azerbaijan, where Red Bull have introduced a host of updates - including to the floor body, diffuser and sidepods....

Lewis Hamilton believes “others just took another step” forward during Thursday practice ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Ferrari needing to find more performance if they are to challenge. Hamilton and Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc looked competitive during Free Practice 1 in Baku, the pair finishing third and fourth but only four tenths away from the top time having used the medium Pirelli tyre. By the second session however, that margin had expanded to 1....

Many a driver has gone up against Max Verstappen at Red Bull and struggled to make enough of an impact to avoid benching or being cut loose - but Isack Hadjar appears to have bucked the trend and that has earned him a second season with the six-time World Champions in 2027. The Frenchman is making his return to racing this weekend after missing the last three events while he recovered from a wrist injury, but before that bout of misfortune, Hadjar was on an immense run of form....

Esteban Ocon claims he is “definitely a free agent for next year” amid speculation about his Formula 1 future with Haas, adding that “I’ve got a lot more to give to this sport”. The Frenchman has been the focal point of rumours throughout much of 2026 that he will not be retained by Haas next season, which also included denying a rift between himself and the team ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix in May....

Isack Hadjar believes that he’s ready to tackle the challenge of the Baku City Circuit after recovering from his wrist injury, but the Red Bull driver admitted that “it’s still going to be painful for a while”. Hadjar was forced to sit on the sidelines for the last three rounds in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain as Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson stepped in at the top team, giving the Frenchman sufficient time to heal from a small fracture he sustained in training over summer....

George Russell has stated he will “keep fighting every single race until it’s mathematically impossible” that he can’t win this year’s Formula 1 title. The Mercedes driver trails team mate Kimi Antonelli by 81 points in the drivers' standings, with the young Italian having taken his eighth victory of the season last time out in Madrid. Russell was only able to finish P5 at the Madring and claimed after the race that he was “not in the fight” for the title anymore with just nine rounds remaining....

Formula 1 first came to Baku a decade ago, eyes wide at the prospect of the mammoth main straight, the narrows of Turn 8, and the novelty of racing below sea-level. It’s a great credit to the track that these aren’t the things that people look for anymore. Baku is all about frantic Qualifying action, the caprices of Safety Cars, and bravery on the brakes into the first corner. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix set a new standard: hybridising the traditional low-speed street race with the sort of low downforce, high-speed, squirrelly cars we were accustomed to seeing at Monza or Hockenheim....

Oscar Piastri has hailed McLaren for their support and constant search for solutions to the difficulties he’s faced this season, stating that they are “not standing still” as they push for additional performance. After challenging for the title in 2025, the Australian has struggled to match his team mate Lando Norris, who maximised the team’s effective development to secure a brace of Grand Prix victories in Hungary and the Netherlands....

Romain Grosjean has explained how the support Mercedes have offered Kimi Antonelli behind the scenes has enabled the Italian to unlock a new level of performance and lead the Drivers' Championship. Following a rollercoaster rookie campaign, Antonelli capitalised on the team’s dominance in the early part of this season to win five of the opening six rounds and take control of the standings, leading his team mate George Russell. Consistent top-three finishes - with the exception of a DNF in Barcelona and P15 at Silverstone - have further aided him in building a considerable advantage of 81 points over the Briton....

F1’s European summer is coming to an end. Since June, the Formula 1 paddock has travelled across the continent, taking in some of the sport’s most iconic venues, from Silverstone and Monaco to Spa-Francorchamps, alongside a new addition in the form of the Madring. From celebrity spotting in Monaco to track invasions at Monza, every race has its own unwritten rules and bucket-list moments. The question is: have you ticked them off?...

Kimi Antonelli has conceded that although the Drivers' Championship is on his mind, he’s aware that “it’s not over until it’s over” and is determined to maintain his high standards over the remaining rounds. The Italian has excelled this season by taking eight Grand Prix victories and a further four podiums, which have enabled him to steadily build an advantage of 81 points over George Russell. A win in Madrid caused his Mercedes team mate to state that he’s “not in the fight for the drivers' title”, but Antonelli insisted that he’s not allowing himself to lose focus, instead opting to take each race weekend as it comes....

It’s back to business as usual for Liam Lawson in Azerbaijan this weekend as Isack Hadjar’s return to race fitness means that the Kiwi will be at the wheel of the VCARB 03 once more. Lawson’s three-race stint at Red Bull Racing brought P7 in Zandvoort and P6 in Madrid, with a P14 after a frustrating weekend at Monza in between. It was an unexpected bonus that in many ways allowed Lawson to exorcise the ghosts of 2025, when he was demoted from the senior team after just two outings, having had very little opportunity to showcase what he could do....

Lewis Hamilton has explained his approach to the title battle heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver optimistic that the team can continue to work hard and “get the most out of it”. After the seven-time World Champion took his superb maiden win for the Scuderia in Barcelona, there was speculation that he could take the fight to Mercedes consistently enough to challenge for another championship. However, Ferrari haven’t finished on the podium since the Belgian Grand Prix, opening the door for Lando Norris and Max Verstappen to close up and secure significant points for McLaren and Red Bull respectively....