2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Friday
Baku, 19 September 2025 – Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber returned to action on the streets of Baku in two crucial practice sessions for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The circuit on the shores of the Caspian Sea features a green surface and treacherous walls, ready to punish any mistake, so completing two issue-free sessions represented a solid start to the race weekend for the team.
Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto experienced the track, gathering important data for the engineers to fine-tune the setup ahead of qualifying. Tomorrow’s session, with the constant risk of yellow flags and the tow playing a big role on the circuit’s 2.5km final straight, will be an interesting test for the team – but one we approach with confidence.
Nico Hulkenberg (car number 27):
FP1: 12th / 1:43.986 (18 laps)
FP2: 18th / 1:42.820 (22 laps)
“It was a classic Friday – nothing out of the ordinary. We ran through our programme, focused on understanding the way to optimise our car’s balance and on where we can improve. Looking at the lap times, there’s still some work to do, but overall, it was a solid baseline to build on. Now it’s about fine-tuning things ahead of the next two days.”
Gabriel Bortoleto (car number 5):
FP1: 14th / 1:44.087 (18 laps)
FP2: 15th / 1:42.561 (22 laps)
“Overall, it was a decent day, despite the tricky conditions. Several drivers went straight into the run-off – I had a couple of those moments too – but that’s just part of pushing to the edge. As a positive, we learned a lot about our limits, and that gives us something solid to build on ahead of Quali. I’m feeling good about the work we can do tonight and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can achieve tomorrow.”