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Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP

F1 Azerbaijan GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & Qualifying

Friday's action from the fourth round of the 2023 Formula 1 season

F1 heads to Baku this weekend for round four of the 2023 championship, with Max Verstappen leading the standings from team-mate Sergio Perez.

The weekend will follow a different format, with a single free practice session on Friday followed by qualifying for Sunday's grand prix.

Saturday now features a shorter sprint qualifying 'shootout' for the afternoon's sprint race, meaning drivers will get thrown right into competitive action in the morning without a practice session to warm up.

FP1 starts at 10.30am BST, with Qualifying getting underway at 2pm BST.

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Yellow flag

05:43

Yellow flag in Sector 1 - has someone else come a cropper?

05:42

There is quite a large plume of smoke coming out the back of that AlphaTauri, but Tsunoda has made it back to the pits

05:41

Tsunoda's puncture was caused by him hitting the wall at the exit of Turn 3 and breaking the wheel rim. The team will be hoping he can make it back without added damage

05:40

Tsunoda has a puncture and is now crawling through the Castle section - his tyre is barely attached

Stopwatch

05:39

Leclerc now leads with a 1m45.129s after 10 minutes of practice

Stopwatch

05:37

Lando Norris is next to go quickest, 0.2s ahead of second-placed Charles Leclerc

05:37

George Russell is now also reporting poor brakes, so Mercedes will want to get that looked at ASAP

Stopwatch

05:37

Alonso has now topped the timesheet, with a 1m47.447s for Aston Martin

05:36

Close call for Carlos Sainz there, clipping the inside of Turn 5 in his Ferrari. This circuit is notoriously tricky - as his team-mate can tell him

05:35

Mercedes are already having some issues, with Lewis Hamilton saying he has no brakes - not a good start to the weekend...

05:34

Lots of flying laps being set now, with Sergio Perez leading the way with a 1m47.491s

05:31

Nyck de Vries is the only driver currently out on the soft Pirelli compound, with everyone else opting for mediums

Lights green

05:30

FP1 is now underway! It's looking busy out there already - the limited practice this weekend means teams will be keen to put in as many laps as possible

05:22

Lots of teams have brought upgrades this weekend, with McLaren hoping to kickstart a revamp. Check out the team's new parts: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mclaren-reveals-extent-of-f1-floor-and-wing-changes-for-baku/10461522/

05:19

Red Bull has dominated so far this season, with Verstappen winning two of the three races so far and Perez securing victory in Saudi Arabia. Can the team continue its success streak this weekend?

05:13

FP1 will get started in just under 20 minutes, but here's a reminder of how the weekend format has changed for Baku: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-reveals-rules-for-new-sprint-shootout-qualifying-session/10460442/

05:12

Welcome to our live updates from F1's Azerbaijan Grand Prix!

By: Autosport Staff

Published:

Apr 28, 2023, 9:43 AM