F1 LIVE: Follow FP2 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku here!

With the drivers now preparing to return to the track for FP2, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has already delivered an eventful opening to the weekend. The first free practice session at the Baku City Circuit produced an intriguing order at the front, with George Russell setting the fastest time ahead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

The Mercedes driver emerged at the top of the standings after completing his quickest lap on the soft tyres, while Verstappen had to settle for second. Leclerc completed the top three, with his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton ending the session in fourth.

However, the FP1 order does not necessarily provide a complete picture of the competitive balance, as both Ferrari drivers set their fastest laps on the medium compound rather than the softs.

The opening session was also affected by a number of incidents and technical problems, limiting the amount of representative running for several drivers. Kimi Antonelli was forced to bring his Mercedes to a halt at Turn 7 after reporting a hydraulics issue over team radio, triggering a brief Virtual Safety Car period. Mercedes came close to another scare shortly afterwards when Russell took the escape road while approaching Turn 3, narrowly avoiding the barriers.

There were further interruptions towards the end of the session. Arvid Lindblad made contact with the wall with just five minutes remaining, although he was able to return to the pit lane. Nico Hulkenberg then stopped his Audi on track, prompting another VSC period, while Esteban Ocon also briefly came to a halt when exiting the pit lane.

With several drivers unable to complete their planned programmes and the Ferrari pair running their quickest laps on the mediums, FP2 will offer teams a valuable opportunity to gather more representative data. The drivers are expected to focus on both qualifying preparation and longer runs as they continue to get to grips with the circuit.

You can follow GPblog LIVE here for all the latest updates from FP2 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with minute-by-minute coverage throughout the session.