Fernando Alonso has revealed how he plans to recover from the gearbox problem that saw him pull off during Practice 2 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Initial cries of "engine" on the radio by the Spaniard after his McLaren stopped proved to be unfounded with the transmission blamed for his stoppage. But it still cost Alonso valuable track time to work on his race pace, which is they key for the British team this weekend as both cars will start at the back due to engine-related grid penalties.

Speaking after returning to the paddock, the double world champion was surprisingly upbeat with how practice had gone.

“It was a good day,” he claimed. “We tried a number of things in both sessions, ran with different levels of downforce to try and find some positive solutions for tomorrow.

“We can also use the laps Stoffel did on the high fuel load to help us determine the best strategy for the race.”

Alonso will also gauge his own feelings on setup and the race on Saturday, stating: “Because I couldn’t do the long run we had planned today, in FP3, I’ll start with full tanks and go for a run of 15 to 20 laps to try and recover the track time we lost today.

“Because we’ll start from the last row due to the penalties, we’ll take it easy in qualifying and save as many sets of tyres as possible for the race.”

The outlook for Sunday does appear bleak for McLaren, however, with racing director Eric Boullier pointing to GPS data before declaring: “We are very slow this weekend, we were expecting to be slow.”

There was one positive though, with Alonso reportedly testing the new Spec 3 Honda power unit that is aimed at solving the issues that have plagued this year as well as cut partly into the speculated 90 horsepower deficit.

Indeed, after weeks of claims McLaren are set for divorce, Boullier has now backed away from some of the increasingly harsh rhetoric towards their Japanese partner.

“Both organisations are working very, very hard to make sure we get where we want to be,” he claimed.

“The little of bit friction, if there is any, is exacerbated by the media. It's true that we have to deliver what we need to do. We have to be where we want to be, but both organisations are working hard to deliver.

“I don't think there is such a drama,” he concluded.

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo remains positive Renault will make progress with their power unit throughout 2017 despite confirming no major upgrade until 2018.

Managing director for the French manufacturer, Cyril Abiteboul revealed their intentions to only focus on minor improvements after team boss for the Milton Keynes team Christian Horner claimed the energy drinks giant was expecting updates initially for Canada before later stating this weekend's race in Baku.

Though Abiteboul's comments left Red Bull concerned, with Max Verstappen questioning how competitive the team can be next year, Ricciardo isn’t making so much of the situation and believes progress will be available throughout the year, beginning from Azerbaijan.

“From what I am aware of there is still going to be improvements," the Australian said. "I believe what we have now is not the full refined version of the power unit, and they know that they can improve that.

“We are hoping to see some of that even this weekend, so we don’t necessarily have updates but we still got some tweaks which we can fine tune what we’ve got. So it probably does not sound as dull as the article says but we want to keep getting more and more from it.”

Giving an indication of how much improvement he believes Red Bull and Renault can still make on their TAG Heuer-branded power units, the four-time Grand Prix winner responded: “It would be nice if they said we can give you a second by then, but we will take what we can for now.

"I think there will be little bits here and there so it won’t stay static from now to Abu Dhabi. Will we see a second, I guess not.”

Team-mate Verstappen also struck a more positive tone on Thursday, having failed to finish in two of the last three races. The Dutchman would praise the progress that has been made since the start of the season, progress that allowed Ricciardo to finish third in the last three races.

"It has improved a lot," the 19-year-old said of the RB13. "In the beginning when we were changing bits on the car it was doing really weird things, like really out of balance and just difficult to understand.

"Since we brought some decent updates to the car, and especially the last few races, the balance is there, now we just need to find a bit more overall grip or stuff like that.

"When you look at the data from Canada in the corners it was not too bad. Just little bits and we need a bit more overall downforce, and they we are more or less close to them.

"Of course we want to be better than them but first we need to catch up. And then the rest of the gap we have is, of course, the power."

The Mercedes drivers were left looking for solutions after struggling to match the pace set by Red Bull on Friday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Following the glorious one-two finish in Canada, practice in Baku was more reminiscent of events in Monaco, as Lewis Hamilton was only 10th quickest albeit without completing a qualifying-style run on the supersoft tyres.

Valtteri Bottas was again the driver best able to adapt to the German works team's tyre warm-up issues on the smooth asphalt, as the Finn ended the day second to pacesetter Max Verstappen, but that was all the British driver could draw on, as he said adjustments will be needed to optimise performance

“It was a difficult day out there. This circuit is a tough one and we had a few challenges that we tried to work through today," the three-time champion said.

“We've clearly still got lots of work to do ahead of qualifying, but Valtteri's time in FP2 looked promising, so there is obviously pace in the car, which is encouraging.

“Now it's just a case of getting our heads together tonight to work out exactly how to extract that pace across the entire weekend.”

For his view, Bottas also admitted his Mercedes had been a handful, however, he felt progress had been made throughout the day especially comparing FP1 to FP2.

“Practice 1 was quite tricky, we were struggling with the setup of the car and it wasn't so well balanced,” the Russian GP winner explained.

“Today, we needed multiple laps in a row to generate the temperatures we want for a good balance.

“FP1 wasn't a happy session, but we made some changes ahead of FP2 and the car definitely felt more comfortable. We are moving in the right direction and hopefully, we'll make another step this evening.

"We'll work hard and if we can find those gains we'll be right up there fighting for pole position.”

Lewis Hamilton has largely retracted Formula 1 retirement comments from earlier this week, declaring the sport remains his utmost priority for now.

In an interview with FIA magazine Auto, the three-time world champion claimed he had the freedom to choose when he had, had enough of F1 and didn't rule out the possibility of that being the end of this year.

However, speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Briton, who currently sits second in the Drivers Championship, played down that prospect by denying it was a consideration.

“I don't even remember discussing that [possibility of retiring at end of current season]. It's not something I am thinking about," he claimed, "I do not think I am in a place where I have to move aside for a youngster coming through right now.

"I think the dream for lots of sportsmen and women is to go out on top, but then you can say a lot of people stop before their time. I haven't decided I want to stop before my time at the moment I think.

Hamilton would admit he has aspirations away from the grid but is very happy with the current arrangement with Mercedes that allows him to enjoy some non-F1 activities during his off-time.

"There are things I think if I had the whole year, there's so much I could achieve, so many things I could tick off the box on the bucket list. But then I would look back and think that I am not racing in a Formula One car.

"There is a time and place for lots of different things, and prioritising is important and choosing the right times. Nobody knows, only God knows when the time is right for certain things but right now, I am very very fortunate to be within this time, I have an amazing team around, I have a great boss who enables me time to have part-time for other interests which keep me sharp."

Sebastian Vettel claimed it was hard to find a rhythm around the streets of Baku, after a steady if not spectacular practice day on  Friday.

The German was third in the morning but would fall to fifth in the afternoon, behind team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, as persistent yellow flags for driving locking brakes and two red flag periods made achieving consecutive fast laps particularly tricky.

A resurgent Red Bull leading the way also suggested it could be a three-team battle at the front this weekend, but Vettel is still confident in what Ferrari can bring to the table.

“Yeah, I think it was very close today. I think we struggled a bit to get a lap together, I hope it’s close tomorrow and I hope that we’ll come out on top,” he said.

“We tried some things this afternoon, but I think it’s not easy to find the rhythm on this track. I hope I wasn’t the only one going down the escape roads many times.

“I think I used reverse three times and I haven’t used reverse once in the last three years but it is good to do this today so we don’t have to tomorrow.

“It was a fun day; we see the short run was not ideal; we didn’t put everything together but tomorrow is another day. Not sure we are missing much, it looked very close. I think Red Bull is very fast, not just for one lap but both sessions.”

On a day for cool heads, there's few better than Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, and in conditions similar to those in which he scored the pole position in Monaco, with large variations in temperatures and a smooth track surface, the Finn labelled tyre management as one of his main setbacks on Friday.

"I think the tyres were difficult to make work and if they’re not working at 100 percent then it’s a bit tricky to make them work," he explained. "I think that was the main thing.

"The trickiest part was actually making them work, to get them hot enough, but if you achieve that, then everything else becomes a lot easier."

On his pace, Kimi added: "We are there or thereabouts but I think the car is OK but we have, obviously, still work to do."

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber has admitted his dismay at the ongoing difficulties faced by good friend Fernando Alonso at McLaren.

The Spaniard has finished just a single race he has participated in so far this year, achieving a 12th place in Spain and that includes his one-off appearance at the Indianapolis 500, which was ended 21 laps from the end due to engine failure.

Unreliable and underpowered Honda engines have been at the centre of all Alonso's troubles and, even before the track action has begun, this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set to be troubled as he and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne will start from the back of the grid.

There is a lot of speculation surrounding the 35-year-old's future, as he is in the final year of his current contract at McLaren, with a decision expected around September.

Contemplating what he'll be considering when making that call, Webber told reporters at the FIA Sport Conference in Geneva: "It's day-by-day with Fernando. He's his own man.

"He's a phenomenal talent. It's a total waste and an absolute travesty that he's at the back of the grid, driving a car that's uncompetitive. But he's still in a situation where he's driving phenomenally.

Despite what for many would be the twilight of their prime years, the Australian also thinks Alonso would have plenty to offer any top team is any category.

"I think his market value has never been higher," the former WEC champion said, "what he's done at the Indy 500, and then what he's done sometimes with that McLaren. Stoffel [Vandoorne] I don't think knows what's hit him, so that's what it's like on Sundays working with someone like Fernando.

"I don't know," he added, coming to a conclusion on where he'll be in the future. "Let's see what engine McLaren get, see if they can hold him over the winter, and convince him that they're going to win next year."

As for the former Renault and Ferrari driver, he believes he is driving as well as he ever has and is enjoying the new style of F1 despite all the disappointing results.

"I know that I'm very happy with this year's rules, I'm happy with this year's cars, I'm able to attack the corners and I've never had a start of the season like this year in terms of how competitive I felt in the car," Fernando commented

"I never started with a difference with my teammate as big as this year, ever, and it's a teammate that won in all the other categories, so... I've a very good reference, you know.

"I'm definitely at my best. In terms of keeping motivation and keeping hunger for success, despite the results, because you know and you feel that you are in a very good moment of your driving career."

Max Verstappen dominated Friday by topping both practice sessions but is not ruling a Ferrari or Mercedes comeback heading into the remainder of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.

The Dutchman took advantage as Red Bull emerged as the surprise team to beat, ending the day with the best time of 1m43.362s and leading the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas by a tenth of a second.

However, a mistake during the final minutes of second practice would see his day finish in the wall at Turn 1. Explaining what happened, he said: “I locked up and I still tried to make the corner but tried to play it safe and take the exit road.

"As soon as I turned right I had a tank-slapper and I lost the rear and went into the barrier.

“It’s broken (the car) but we have new parts and luckily it was nothing for the race so it’s all good.”

His error was one of many on Friday with over 100 yellow flag disruptions and two red flags, after crashes for Sergio Perez and Jolyon Palmer at Turn 8.

With finding a clean lap so difficult then, Verstappen is confident there is more pace to come from the car.

"I think the whole day has been really positive, except the last lap, everything else was working really good," he claimed.

“So from that point I felt very good in the car even though, I think, in my short runs in second practice, I couldn’t really take the maximum out of it because of traffic and yellow flags. So we can be quite happy.

“To be first with not an ideal lap, first of all, I went out of the garage and had yellow flags, then a Virtual Safety Car so you can’t warm up your tyres like you want to. So to be up there is very positive.”

When asked why Red Bull appear so strong on pace, the youngest Grand Prix winner in F1 history would put the apparent improvement in competitiveness down to progress made with the RB13 in recent weeks.

“The preparation we did at the factory was very good and the car was working straight away on the track so that means the correlation is good," Verstappen said.

"From the engine side, we had an update so that’s always a positive.”

However, Verstappen did not rule out a Ferrari and Mercedes fight back, after a quiet day by the top two team's standards.

“You always have to be careful. We know that in qualifying Mercedes will turn up their power," he said. "To be ahead on a Friday is always positive, we’ll see tomorrow, to stay there will be difficult but at least we have a better pace than normal.”

Valtteri Bottas is not feeling disturbed by the uncertainty surrounding his Mercedes future with the Finn’s contract expiring at the end of the season.

Bottas joined Mercedes this season on a one-year deal following the surprising retirement of current world champion Nico Rosberg, who retired days after clinching the title, leaving Mercedes chasing a new driver.

The former GP3 champion and Williams driver were immediately on Mercedes’ radar, especially as motorsport boss Toto Wolff was part of his management team.

He has enjoyed a good start to the season grabbing his first F1 pole in Bahrain followed by his first win in Sochi and the current world champions insist they are pleased with his performances but with the season almost at the half mark, Bottas’ future is still uncertain with Wolff acknowledging this week his situation was "uncomfortable".

When asked about it in Baku on Thursday, however, Bottas admits that his pace and results will be decisive for his place on the grid next season.

"I don't know when I will know [about my future],” he said.

"The timeline is quite flexible, but there's no rush really, for sure discussions will be opened soon because as a driver at some point it's always nice to know what you're going to do next year.

"But [there's] not more than that to say really, it's still a bit early days for that.

"For sure I'm keen to have a long-term relationship with Mercedes, that's my target, that's why every day I work hard and try to make the most out of every single situation and race weekend.

Explaining how he was able to remain calm amid the ongoing speculation, Bottas added: "I feel normal because every single year in Formula 1 for me I've always had the same situation.

"I've had no idea at this point [in previous years] what's going to be next year, so for me, it's a normal situation."

One vote of confidence the 27-year-old can rely on, however, is from current team-mate Lewis Hamilton, with his arrival a key reason for the improved atmosphere within Mercedes.

"He has earned his place and he will continue to grow," the Briton said.

"He has done a great job, it's only his first year with the team and he has already won a Grand Prix. He will continue to go from strength to strength and just needs the opportunity to do so.

"Valtteri's energy is helping create a great harmony. When he is at the factory, he brings a great energy which everyone loves and appreciates."

Max Verstappen and Red Bull would surprisingly set the pace, as the Dutchman led both practice sessions ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Friday.

He would set the bar at 1m43.362s on the supersoft tyres during the afternoon, on a day that saw Ferrari and Mercedes both lack the invincibility they have shown throughout this Formula 1 season.

Valtteri Bottas would be Verstappen's closest challenger in his Silver Arrow, exactly a tenth behind the 19-year-old, but Red Bull does appear the team to beat heading into the weekend as Daniel Ricciardo was P2 behind his team-mate in the morning and would pretty much match Bottas in the second 90 minutes of running.

Ferrari was steady if not spectacular throughout the day, Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel would be fourth and fifth at the checkered flag but the German did seem to struggle more than most under braking taking to the escape roads of multiple occasions across both sessions.

Lewis Hamilton, who had issues last year in Baku, may be enduring a repeat this year, finishing 10th in the afternoon, though would not complete a qualifying-style run on the supersoft tyres, due to a crash for Jolyon Palmer causing the second of two red flags on Friday.

Sergio Perez was the first man to do so, after a heavy crash at the tight Turn 8 with around 20 minutes left in Practice 1. The Mexican would finish fourth in that session, however, and seventh again in Practice 2, as Force India continued their pace from Canada, emerging definite top eight contenders.

Also having a good day was Lance Stroll in the Williams, finishing the day in sixth place overall. The Canadian scored his first points at his home race two weeks ago and was pleased with the setup of his car as he finished ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa.

Finally, Daniil Kvyat had a quietly good day, achieving top 10 positions in both sessions and ahead of Toro Rosso team-mate Carlos Sainz at a circuit where the non-Mercedes powered midfield teams may need trouble ahead if they want to fight for points on Sunday.

It was another troubled day at McLaren, as yet another Honda engine failure curtailed Fernando Alonso's running in the afternoon. It was certainly not a good start to a weekend that is set to be very difficult for the British team, as engine-related grid penalties will see both the Spaniard and Stoffel Vandoorne start at the back of the grid on Sunday.

Though the sight of F1 cars locking up into escape roads was common on Friday, Romain Grosjean suffered more than most as Haas' perennial weakness was on full display. The Frenchman changed material after a troubled start to Practice 2 but then further inconsistencies with the brake-by-wire saw Romain left incredibly frustrated.

He was at the bottom of the timesheets when the action ended, with his team-mate Kevin Magnussen only 14th for the American team.

The streets of Baku don't suit Renault and it showed with Nico Hulkenberg only 15th, a place ahead of Palmer who, as mentioned, ended his day in the barrier after repeating Perez's morning crash at Turn 8.

And Sauber, though not absolute slowest, again brought up the field with Pascal Wehrlein 18th and Marcus Ericsson 19th, as the Swiss team continue to deal with the fallout after losing team boss Monisha Kaltenborn on Wednesday.

A hectic Friday with many drivers with plenty of analysis and work to do overnight, none more so than Hamilton, with the ghosts of Monaco reappearing, and Ferrari who can see the opportunity to capitalise if they can overcome the unexpected challenge of Verstappen in his RB13.

Sergio Perez has reassured his belief that Force India did not and will not use team orders and will always allow their drivers to race freely, ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

After a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix, that saw both Force India drivers competing for the final place on the podium, questions were raised as to whether the team would use team orders to allow Esteban Ocon, who was on fresher tyres, to overtake team-mate Perez in front.

A conversation took place and was believed to be a request from the team to the Mexican asking him to let Ocon through but that never happened. The stalemate would result in both cars losing a position to a flying Sebastian Vettel, but, speaking in Baku on Thursday, Perez insisted no such instruction took was given.

"In Canada, they told me to speed up to Ricciardo, and we were just having a normal conversation. They were never team orders,” he said.

“They felt that they were not in need to do team orders, 13 laps difference in tyres in Montreal is not a lot, because it's a very low degradation on that circuit. The team has all the information."

Asked if Force India had looked to change their position for future scenarios, the 27-year-old replied: "The policy of the team is that if we're in the same situation, they will do exactly the same thing. They will let us race again and no teams orders, as they feel they did the right thing. “I think it's great, it's great for the sport, it's great for everyone, for the fans that the team lets the drivers race."

“I think it's great, it's great for the sport, it's great for everyone, for the fans that the team lets the drivers race."

Finally, Perez shifted the attention back on the team when considering if he thought Ocon could have gone on to pass Daniel Ricciardo in front, who would eventually take the final podium place.

"I have to go only on my team and what they say. They have more information than all of us sitting here," Sergio said.

"I think they felt that Esteban wouldn't have had the chance to overtake him either, so I will believe them."