RUSSELL DOMINATES BAKU QUALIFYING TO TAKE POLE BY OVER EIGHT TENTHS
George Russell delivered a stunning performance in qualifying for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, taking pole position with a huge advantage over the rest of the field. The Mercedes driver set a 1:42.526 on his final Q3 attempt to beat Charles Leclerc by 0.837 seconds. Oscar Piastri was just 0.001s behind the Ferrari in third, while Isack Hadjar completed a surprising second row on his return to Red Bull.
Russell had already shown strong pace throughout the weekend, topping both Thursday practice sessions before Verstappen went fastest in FP3 on Friday morning. Mercedes therefore entered qualifying as one of the main favourites for pole, but Russell still produced a lap that was significantly faster than anyone expected.
The biggest drama of Q1 came from Kimi Antonelli. The Mercedes driver had been one of the strongest performers during practice, but his qualifying session ended after he hit the inside wall at Turn 1. The impact damaged the front suspension and prevented him from continuing. Antonelli will therefore start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 16th on the grid.
Antonelli’s crash was particularly costly because Mercedes had shown a strong level of performance throughout the weekend. Russell responded by setting the fastest time of Q1, putting himself in a strong position for the rest of qualifying.
Isack Hadjar also made a strong start to the session. The Frenchman immediately showed good pace with Red Bull and was able to benefit from the slipstream on Baku’s long main straight. Hadjar’s return to the Red Bull race seat comes after he missed the Dutch, Italian and Spanish Grands Prix because of a wrist injury. Liam Lawson had replaced him during that period before returning to Racing Bulls for Baku.
Q1 also produced several unexpected eliminations. Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg were both knocked out with Audi, while both Cadillac and both Aston Martin drivers also failed to reach Q2. This left several experienced drivers facing an early exit on a circuit where qualifying position can be especially important.
Russell continued to lead at the start of Q2, while Leclerc moved into second after using Hamilton’s slipstream on the main straight. Hadjar remained close to the front, while Verstappen struggled to match the pace of his team-mate and the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers.
Verstappen was only eighth with two minutes remaining in Q2, although he still had a comfortable margin over the elimination zone. The Red Bull driver then improved on his final attempt and moved up to second, pushing Leclerc down to third. Russell also improved his previous time before the end of the session.
Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, Alexander Albon, Esteban Ocon and Arvid Lindblad were eliminated in Q2. Russell therefore entered Q3 as the main Mercedes representative after Antonelli’s early crash.
McLaren finally showed more of its potential in Q3 after a difficult weekend up to that point. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris initially occupied the top two positions after their first runs, with Russell behind them. The Mercedes driver, however, was carrying more fuel on that first attempt and had more performance available for his final run.
Leclerc then produced a strong lap to move into provisional second, separating Russell from the two McLarens. The Ferrari driver was able to put himself on the front row, continuing Ferrari’s improvement after a less convincing start to the Baku weekend.
Russell saved his best for the final attempt. The Mercedes driver completed a 1:42.526, taking pole position by 0.837 seconds. It was a huge gap at the front, with Leclerc unable to respond despite his own strong final lap.
Piastri finished third, only one thousandth of a second behind Leclerc. Hadjar then completed a remarkable qualifying session in fourth, beating his Red Bull team-mate Verstappen by four positions. Norris took fifth, followed by Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto.
Verstappen’s eighth position was particularly notable after he had topped FP3 earlier in the day. The Red Bull driver had looked competitive in the final practice session, but could not reproduce that pace when the teams switched to the qualifying setup. Russell, meanwhile, confirmed the pace Mercedes had shown since Thursday.
The result gives Russell his second consecutive Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole position and another strong qualifying result during a season in which Mercedes has been particularly effective over one lap. Mercedes had taken pole in 10 of the first 14 Grands Prix before arriving in Baku.
Russell will now start from pole alongside Leclerc, while Piastri and Hadjar will share the second row. Norris and Hamilton will start behind them, with Verstappen forced to recover from eighth. Antonelli faces an even bigger challenge from 16th after his Q1 crash, setting up a race where Mercedes will have its two cars starting from very different positions.
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