Summary

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. And the rest

    11. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

    12. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

    13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

    14. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

    15. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

    16. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

    17. Alex Albon (Williams)

    18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

    19. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

    20. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

  2. Top 10

    1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:45.546

    2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.313

    3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.376

    4. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.481

    5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.627

    6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.736

    7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.906

    8. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.970

    9. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.062

    10. Daniel Ricciardo (RB) +1.141

  3. 'Red Bull back on the pace'

    Ben Edwards
    F1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Verstappen has never taken pole position here - right now he is the fastest. Red Bull is back on the pace - they are in good shape. Perez is in third.

    Verstappen fastest in FP1Getty Images

  4. Ben Edwards
    F1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Verstappen is on a mega lap!

  5. chequered flag

    Chequered flag

    Max Verstappen steams through at the end of the session to top first practice with a time 0.313 seconds quicker than the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.

    It's double delight for Red Bull, as Sergio Perez finishes his hour in third place.

  6. With a one car left on track to do all the donkey work, Carlos Sainz has lifted his Ferrari up into the top four on his soft-tyre attempt. The Spaniard hits a 1:46.173, but hid P4 has suddenly turned into fifth spot because...

  7. Over at RB, Yuki Tsunoda, who has secured his seat with the team for the 2025 season, but still doesn't know who his team-mate will be, is on the team radio after his latest run to say his car is "bouncing like hell". The Japanese driver is down in 15th place with a time currently in the 1:47s.

  8. Rebecca Clancy
    F1 journalist on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Albon on trackGetty Images

    Alex Albon went straight on at the corner his team-mate had a crash on. And you can tell his brain is saying... don't do that!

  9. Verstappen goes second

    What can Max Verstappen do this weekend? The Red Bull man banked seven wins in the opening part of the season but the team's recent form has been a worrying concern for their double title ambitions. To think we haven't heard the Dutch national on a Sunday since June.

    Verstappen crosses the line and beats his rival Lando Norris, but he can't quite knock Lewis Hamilton off the top spot. The gap between the Red Bull and the Mercedes is 0.036 seconds.

  10. Ben Edwards
    F1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    We have a few more out on the soft tyre now - Alonso hasn't done much until now and he's up inside the top five.

  11. yellow flag

    Yellow flag

    There is a yellow flag at Turn Four - the exact place Franco Colapinto crashed a few moments ago. It's his team-mate Alex Albon, who thankfully hasn't suffered the same fate as the Argentine and gets himself back up and running with no problem.

    Track green again.

  12. Top five

    1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes, softs) - 1:45.859

    2. Lando Norris (McLaren, softs) +0.168

    3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren, softs) +0.423

    4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull, softs) +0.727

    5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, medium) +0.749

  13. Track green

    Another red flag has come and gone and the track is clear once again. Just as Franco Colapinto hit the wall in his Williams, Lewis Hamilton put his Mercedes top of the timesheets from Lando Norris with a 1:45.859 on the softs.

  14. red flag

    This is not ideal for Williams. Remember Logan Sargeant was let go for the second half of the season after a huge crash at the Dutch Grand Prix in August, with the smash costing the team a fair whack. Although, Franco Colapinto hasn't driven on the Baku street circuit before, and the Argentine is only making a brief appearance in Formula 1 as a placeholder for Carlos Sainz's arrival in 2025.

    Colapinto on trackGetty Images

  15. 'Mistakes are easy to make here'

    Ben Edwards
    F1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Another red flag - Colapinto is OK. It is disappointing for the youngster. This is not how he wanted to start this race weekend. He is apologising straight away but mistakes are so easy to make here.

  16. red flag

    Like Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari, Franco Colapinto jumps safely out of the Williams and walks away from the wreckage. The Argentine driver says "sorry" to the pit wall.

  17. red flag

    Colapinto crashes

    Red tyres, red flag.

    Franco Colapinto has bashed his Williams sideways into the wall after the rear if the car stepped out into Turn Four.

  18. Norris quickest on softs

    The medium tyre is starting to disappear from the timing screen, as the soft compound is bolted on for some quick running. Sergio Perez, who started eighth and finished eighth in Monza, is the first car to put down a marker on the red rubber with a 1:46.586. But that time is quickly beaten by McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with the Briton 0.255 seconds faster than his Australian team-mate.

  19. A new era ahead for Aston Martin?

    Rebecca Clancy
    F1 journalist on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Must be a fascinating time to be at Aston Martin - the whole season has been pretty disappointing for them, they are now looking ahead to 2026 and the signing of Adrian Newey.

    Stroll around BakuGetty Images

  20. Top five

    1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:46.608

    2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.030

    3. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.638

    4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.872

    5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1010