Max Verstappen dominated the first practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, clocking a fastest lap of 1:45.546, well ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez, who placed second and third respectively. The session was marred by three red flags due to crashes involving Charles Leclerc, who slammed into the wall at Turn 15, and Franco Colapinto, who also hit the barriers. Leclerc's crash ended his session prematurely, leaving him ninth on the timesheets, while Verstappen's performance indicated a resurgence for Red Bull after recent struggles. Lando Norris, Verstappen's closest title rival, finished fourth, narrowing the championship gap to 62 points with eight races remaining. The session highlighted grip issues on the street circuit, exacerbated by recent rain, leading to slower lap times initially. Oliver Bearman made his Haas debut, finishing 11th and marking a promising start to his F1 career.