Russell absent from Baku paddock on Thursday: the Briton ruled out for media day

The Brackley team confirmed that the driver is feeling unwell and is resting to be at his best for tomorrow, when the first two practice sessions of the weekend will take place.

The team also announced that Kimi Antonelli will replace the Brit in today’s FIA press conference.

The Brit comes off a fifth-place finish at last weekend’s Monza GP, in a race where Mercedes was unable to keep pace with Max Verstappen and the two McLarens in the battle for the podium.

Regarding the Baku weekend, Russell has secured two career podiums at this track, in 2022 and last year. In 2023, however, there was the infamous incident with Max Verstappen that led to a heated dispute between the two at the end of the race.

In the most recent edition, Russell benefited from the collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Pérez, gaining two positions to finish on the podium behind Piastri and Leclerc.

The Azerbaijan GP marks the seventeenth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season, as well as the final race to be held in Europe before the final stretch leading up to the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Here are the session times for the weekend.