A perfect lap, eight tenths clear
George Russell hadn’t felt this in a while. Pole position, the real thing, the kind that buries the rest of the field. The Briton will start Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, round 15 of the season, from the front after dominating qualifying on the Baku street circuit. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri fill out the front row. Behind them, over eight tenths back. A gulf, on a track where everything usually comes down to hundredths.
“It’s been a while since I was on pole so it feels really good. I feel really good in the car this weekend. In the end I nailed the perfect lap so that’s brilliant,” the Mercedes driver said. He topped both Thursday practice sessions before Verstappen edged him in FP3 on Friday morning. That lasted exactly one session.
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Antonelli into the wall, down to 16th
While Russell celebrated, his teammate was unraveling. Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader with an 81-point cushion, hit the wall at Turn 1 in Q1. Front-left tyre and suspension damaged, his session over early. He advanced to Q2 automatically on his pre-crash time, 15th fastest, but couldn’t take part. It’s the first time all season he’s missed Q3.
The Bolognese driver has been here before. Three weeks ago at Monza, an engine penalty dropped him to 19th on the grid. He won anyway, leaving Russell stunned. Baku, on Saturday, will show whether that trick has a sequel.
Hadjar fourth on his return, two Alpines inside the top 10
Isack Hadjar’s lap time carries extra weight. Back in the Red Bull after missing three races with a left wrist injury, the Frenchman qualified fourth, ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. Pierre Gasly added a strong seventh for Alpine, just ahead of Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto. Esteban Ocon had to settle for 14th in the Haas.
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