Summary

  • Ricciardo fastest in second practice, Hamilton 5th, Vettel only 11th

  • Red Bull appear to have best race pace as Mercedes & Ferrari struggle

  • Verstappen crashes in first session - adding to several incidents this season

  • Final practice & qualifying coverage from 10:30 BST Saturday

Live Reporting

Michael Emons

  1. Hello again

    Welcome back. Valtteri Bottas was fastest earlier on, while Max Verstappen, not for the first time this season, got acquainted with a wall.

    Time for practice session number two.

    Valtteri BottasGetty Images

  2. Back at 13:30 BST.

    We are going to park this live for a bit. We will be back at 13:30 BST for all the action from practice session two.

    See you then.

  3. Verstappen crashes as Bottas fastest - read the report

    Andrew Benson
    BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

    Max Verstappen's difficult start to the season continued with a crash in first practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

    The Red Bull driver, who has had major incidents in all three races so far, lost control at Turn Three early in the session and smashed into the barriers.

    Team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was fastest at the time and ended up second behind Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.

    The Finn was 0.035 seconds quicker with world champion Lewis Hamilton fourth behind Force India's Sergio Perez.

    The Mercedes drivers were on the fastest ultra-soft tyre, while Ricciardo and Perez were running the theoretically slower super-soft.

    Ferrari's championship leader Sebastian Vettel was only 10th fastest on the ultra-soft, with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen 13th. As the German was 2.3secs off the pace, the red cars' speed cannot be representative.

  4. These are the times to study.

    Practice oneFormula 1

  5. Yes, that is championship leader Sebastian Vettel in 10th, with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in 15th.

    Genuinely slow, holding back their pace or just trying a few things out? We will see at the second practice session later on today at 14:00 BST.

  6. The top 10

    Formula 1Formula 1

  7. Bottas fastest in practice one
    Breaking

    Valtteri Bottas is the fastest man of the opening practice session. Daniel Ricciardo, who won last time out in China, is second and Force India's Sergio Perez ends on a high as he jumps up to third late on.

  8. Hamilton, Alonso and Grosjean have all overcooked it into turn two and gone into the run-off area.

    Brendon Hartley has done something similar at turn eight.

    Lewis HamiltonRex Features

  9. A yellow flag as Romain Grosjean narrowly avoids putting his Haas into the wall at turn two. He is down in 15th at the moment.

    Romain GrosjeanFormula 1

  10. Five minutes to go.

    Bottas, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Ocon, Perez, Verstappen, Alonso, Sirotkin, Vettel, Stroll are our top 10.

  11. Sergey Sirotkin locks up, overshoots turn three. That would have raised the heartbeat a bit, but he keeps it out of the wall.

    The newcomer is eighth today so will be happy so far. He is one of six men - along with Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, Romain Grosjean, Lance Stroll and Brendon Hartley - not to have scored a point so far this season.

  12. What of Ferrari? Sebastian Vettel ninth, Kimi Raikkonen 13th. They've had better afternoons.

  13. Mercedes aren't done yet. Valtteri Bottas is fastest, Lewis Hamilton is third, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo sandwiched in the middle.

    MercedesMercedes

  14. Get Involved #bbcf1

    Max Verstappen reaction

    Bob McFeil: Max is clearly trying to rival Daniil Kvyat for the ‘Torpedo’ title

    Stewart: I don't think the Verstappen and Maldonado comparisons are quite fair. Verstappen has genuine talent, be just needs to wind it back a little at times. Maldonado never showed anything more than being a liability, and a genuine danger on track

    Iain: Remind me how Kvyat was treated when he had a couple of crashes early in the season, despite scoring a podium?

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  15. We saw Lewis Hamilton miss the corner at turn two, and now Fernando Alonso has done the same thing. Remember, there is space to run off the track there so neither man does any damage.

    Max Verstappen must be wishing there was some space at turn five, where he pranged himself into the wall earlier on and has not been seen on the track since.

  16. Get Involved #bbcf1

    What is your favourite race of all time and why?

    Rachel T: The 2007 Canadian GP was an epic race - in only his 6th F1 start, HAM led from Pole holding off ALO & keeping his focus through no less than four safety cars - one caused by Kubica's terrible crash. A truly history-making win for Lewis!

    Jimbo: Greatest race of all time is a three-way fight for me. The nearly moment of Hill at Hungary in '97, even overtaking Schumi on pure pace. The carnage that was Spa '98 (Hill again). Or the lesson of never quitting at Montreal '11. Three superb GP it's impossible to choose between.

    Robert Kubica crashes during the Canadian Grand Prix 2007Getty Images

  17. Nico Hulkenberg is done for the session, lying 10th. It is better than his team-mate though as Carlos Sainz, with some problems to his Renault, is now last.

    RenaultRenault

  18. Force India came fourth in the constructors last season, but have only picked up one point from the opening three races of this campaign.

    Things are looking up in Azerbaijan though as Esteban Ocon goes fourth, with Sergio Perez sixth.

  19. Sebastian Vettel throws down a lap at last, but it is only good enough for 11th, one place ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

    What ever Ferrari are trying, it's not really working at the moment.

  20. Who is going fast?

    With only 20 minutes left, these are the times for you.

    Formula 1Formula 1