AL HAYAT - Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in Azerbaijan GP practice

The pair delivered a 1-2 as Russell completed a Friday 'double top' ahead of Red Bull's four-time world champion Max Verstappen by eight-tenths of a second.

Russell was fastest in one minute and 43.347 seconds to outpace his Italian partner by 0.552sec in a convincing display of speed on the fast and unforgiving barrier-lined streets of the Azeri capital.

Charles Leclerc was fourth ahead of his Ferrari team-mate seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, with reigning world champion Lando Norris sixth for McLaren ahead of Alpine's Pierre Gasly and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

"We are miles off," said Norris. "We're up there, let's say, we're in the position we expected to be in, but I'm 1.5 seconds off the pace. So, pretty pants.

"We'll see what work we can do tonight. The car didn't feel that bad so, yeah, it's a knife in the heart when you see how far off you are."

Isack Hadjar was ninth in the second Red Bull, having returned to action after breaking his wrist.

Several drivers survived narrow escapes from brushes with the barriers and walls, but the session was halted only once for a red flag when Racing Bulls' rookie Arvid Lindblad crashed in the narrowest section of the circuit, but was unhurt.

Russell and Verstappen set the early pace before Norris, his car using cable ties to retain the floor boards, went top only for the Dutchman to respond as the drivers settled into a groove of fast laps.

After 15 minutes, Antonelli was still in the pits as his car was being rebuilt following an engine change after he suffered a hydraulics failure during FP1.

"I felt comfortable in the car, despite the disruption, and we focused on maximising every opportunity," said the 20-year-old.

"Losing laps in practice is not ideal, particularly on a street circuit like Baku where confidence builds with every lap and run."

Hadjar was running with a fresh gearbox after struggling on his return to action.

Verstappen, Leclerc and Russell clocked fastest lap times as Hamilton upset Lawson when he inadvertently baulked him. "Oh my God, that is so dangerous," he said. The stewards noted.

But Russell emerged quickest, just as he did in the earlier opening practice, to complete a solid day's work for constructors' championship leaders Mercedes.

Aston Martin drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll are set to start at the back of the grid after taking significant grid penalties for exceeding their permitted number of engine component changes.

They propped up the field in second practice, with Alonso only completing 11 laps as he finished last.

K.Sharhan--al-Hayat