Mercedes driver George Russell secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Friday after delivering the fastest lap in qualifying at the Baku City Circuit.
Russell posted a time of 1:42.526, finishing 0.837 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified third, just 0.001 seconds behind Leclerc.
The qualifying session produced a major setback for Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who crashed into the wall at Turn One during the opening phase of Q1. The incident ended his session and leaves the 20-year-old Italian starting Saturday’s race from 16th position.
Russell’s strong qualifying performance follows his pace-setting displays during Thursday’s practice sessions, where he topped both FP1 and FP2.
Lando Norris qualified fifth, ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, with Pierre Gasly, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto completing the top 10.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on Saturday, September 26, with Russell starting from the front alongside Leclerc as Mercedes seeks to convert its qualifying advantage into a strong race result.
Leave a comment