Leclerc fastest, Vettel 2nd, Hamilton 3rd
Stroll and Kvyat crash, Hamilton nearly involved in heavy crash
First practice cancelled - Russell's car damaged by loose drain cover
Rescue truck then crashes into bridge
Max Chilton
Former F1 driver
There's a recovery truck come to rescue the Williams, which is on the recovery truck. It's like the chuckle brothers have come to Formula 1.
Max Chilton
Former F1 driver
The amount of track walks I've done in my career, you always look on street circuits where they have welded the manhole covers down.
You always think "is that really necessary?" and now it proves just how much downforce these cars create.
Someone has probably gone over it and lifted it, and Russell has come along and caught the leading edge of it.
The recovery truck has hit the bridge... and now they're hydraulic fluid dripping onto the car...
Words from the man himself, George Russell: "There was a manhole cover and got the biggest smack from my body. The engine turned off, it's ruined the floor and the chassis could be ruined. The session won't be going green until it's sorted and it's ruined the session.
"I'm better, still not 100% but going in the right direction."
Image source, Formula 1 Twitter
Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live
There's a huge amount of damage to the floor. And potentially the chassis could be ruined.
Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live
Russell had DRS open, he's on a timed lap, he just jumps on something the car launches into the air.
He didn't run over anything, and the man hole cover is loose, the marshals come out to start the clean up operation.
Max Chilton
Former Formula 1 driver
Baku is one of the most unique circuits on the calendar, apart from Monaco.
Everybody has seen Monaco a thousand times, whereas this one is still fairly new and always offers an exciting race.
It's unusual as it's like a road course but it's very smooth and wide, so it's a weird comprise between the two.
There are problems with the track. The stewards say track repairs are required and marshals are cleaning up the large amount of debris from the Williams.
Everyone except Mercedes have done an instillation lap. Ferrari are first to set times.
Leclerc 1:47.497
Vettel 1:49.598
It's been a long two weeks since we had any Formula racing action. What's happened?
Ferrari have been crunching the numbers in Maranello after their failures in China, Max Verstappen might be focusing on keeping his spot in third in the championship, and not having a repeat of last year...
Lewis Hamilton looks at how to extend his lead, and says he sees himself in Charles Leclerc - is he playing games with Vettel?
What do you think? Get involved on Twitter using #bbcf1
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BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
And you can listen to our commentary team, including Andrew Benson, at the top of the page, and on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer
Image source, Lewis Hamilton InstagramLewis Hamilton spent some of his time between China and Azerbaijan flying to California to attend the Coachella music festival in the desert near Palm Springs. It’s the sort of thing some people like to criticise him for, but as he has proven over the last few years - and as Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff often points out - his jet-set lifestyle works for him.
“It is not a recharge,” Hamilton said. “A festival is not a recharge. I went to Glastonbury (once) but not really - 40 minutes and left. It is only the second time I have been to something like that. It is important to live your life. I got to be with some really great friends and create some really good memories. You can’t take money or trophies or titles with you but you can take good memories so it is key for me to create good memories.”
Also in the break, Hamilton was paid pretty close to the ultimate compliment by former F1 driver Gerhard Berger, who said he now believed the Briton was on the same level as Ayrton Senna, to whom the Austrian spent three years as team-mate. Hamilton, who idolised Senna when he was growing up, said: “It means a lot coming from him. Quite humbling to even be put in the same sentence as someone like that. For me, Ayrton is always in his own light and on his own unique level and you aspire to emulate or be like him, as a driver.”
Sun, sun, sun.
Image source, F1 TwitterLast year was quite the race...
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Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer
George Russell was excused from his media duties on Thursday because he was recovering from what Williams said was a respiratory infection that he picked up in China. The team say he is recovered sufficiently and will take part in first practice.
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BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
Our commentary team of former F1 drivers Jolyon Palmer and Max Chilton, alongside Jennie Gow will be on air on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra at 09:55.
Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer
Image source, Getty ImagesFerrari really need a win this weekend, to stop Mercedes running away with the championship before it has really got going, and on paper things look good for them.
Their straight-line performance in qualifying has been one of the stand-out features of the last two races - “massive,” as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen puts it - and Baku as a track is much more similar to Bahrain, where they were fast, than China, where they were not, particularly.
On top of that, they have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for this race, centred on tweaks around the barge board area and floor. “Just trying to bounce back from three difficult weekends and hopefully now we can be in front,” Charles Leclerc said.
“Trying to put the set-up right will be a key thing and then just the overall development of the car.” Lewis Hamilton certainly expects a tough fight: “You're going to see this weekend Ferrari are probably going to be extremely quick since they've got an upgrade and this is a track that has boded well for them in the previous years.”
Race four of the year, and soon to be race number 1,001. It's F1's fourth time in Baku and after the last two years it certainly packed a punch.
We've had an unusual start to the year with Ferrari being on and off the pace, and Valtteri Bottas taking the early championship lead. But Ferrari are nowhere to be seen in the top three.
What can we expect from practice today?