(AFP via Getty Images)
Follow the live updates of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan as the opening day of training begins in Baku. Defending champion Max Verstappen has warned that he has “outstanding issues” in Azerbaijan after being denied victory in a chaotic race last season. It’s a bad sign for the rest of the grid, as Red Bull hit the street circuit with a series of four straight victories, following Sergio Pérez’s victory at the Monaco Grand Prix last time.
Ferrari and Mercedes are under pressure to respond and the first two training sessions will provide clues as to who can challenge Red Bull this weekend. Charles Leclerc is without a win in two months, but has been brilliantly in the standings with three consecutive pole positions, while Lewis Hamilton will wait for Mercedes to finally solve his problems with the “porpoise”. Red Bull has been claimed to be afraid of the “dangerous” potential of the Mercedes car, but Verstappen remains the favorite as it seeks to extend Red Bull’s career.
“I look forward to returning to Baku, we have some issues pending there after last year,” Verstappen said. “It is a complicated track with large braking areas and a tight start, finding the best configuration for the car will be difficult to make sure we get the right wing level. It will also be interesting to see if we can improve our one-lap performance for qualifying, as we are a little short. “Follow the live updates of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix below:
F1 LIVE: latest updates of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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F1: Azerbaijan Grand Prix training
And here’s the proof: Perez goes faster with a 1: 45.476 after also moving to the soft. Perez really pushed him there. Ferraris have followed suit, from hard to soft. Sainz is third, but Leclerc seems to be improving his time and, in fact, setting the fastest time in sector two. He’s faster than Sainz, but Leclerc is behind the Red Bulls.
Still, this is one of the first four family-friendly.
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:43 PM
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Verstappen is now running on the softs as he starts a flying lap. Cut a big 0.6 s in his first sector time, then an even bigger 0.72 s in sector two!
The result is 1: 45.810, the fastest of the day so far, and there would have been many more than you can imagine.
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:37 PM
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The AlphaTauris have positioned themselves in the top five. Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda get faster times than Carlos Sainz, in what is a top of the standings with a lot of Red Bull.
Hamilton dropped completely to 11th, 2.5 seconds behind Verstappen. Russell has yet to get started and has returned to the pits to work on his suspension.
Ricciardo and Norris are also below the bottom half of the standings.
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:31 p.m.
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Sainz and Hamilton stagger with their cars, as Leclerc, still in the thick of it, sets a faster first sector. He shaves a few tenths of his first lap, but Pérez is second, just 0.068 seconds behind his teammate Verstappen.
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:24 PM
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1) Verstappen (M) 1: 46,932
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:20 p.m.
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Nicholas Latifi is off in the middle of a lightning bolt. “The car is dead, the car is dead,” says the Williams driver, as he becomes the second victim of FP1 and triggers the second VSC of the session.
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:18 PM
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Verstappen lights up the first two purple sectors and then sets the fastest time so far, as Hamilton funds the runoff area after coming out of a corner.
“The wind is crazy,” Verstappen reports. Then Leclerc stands between Verstappen and Pérez with his first lap on the hard. Repetitions show that his Ferrari moved a few inches away from the wall on that lap.
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:15 p.m.
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Schumacher is off the track after a major leak from his Haas car.
“Mick, we have to stop the car, stop the car.”
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:09 PM
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Verstappen and Pérez face the media and are at the top of the standings, with the reigning champion scoring a first 1: 48.574.
Vettel reports “a lot of walking on the straights with the direction.”
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:07 PM
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F1: Azerbaijan Grand Prix training
The clock is ticking and FP1 is up and running in Baku. Lewis Hamilton faces straight, with Mercedes one of seven teams with wing upgrades this weekend.
Jamie Braidwood June 10, 2022 12:01 PM