George Russell claimed pole position for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a brilliant performance in Baku, setting a blistering lap time of 1:42.526. The Mercedes driver outpaced second-placed Charles Leclerc by a massive eight-tenths of a second to secure his fifth pole of the season.
Reflecting on his dominant session, Russell expressed satisfaction with his machinery, describing his final run in Q3 as "perfect." The strong showing highlights the ongoing improvements from Mercedes as they navigate the competitive 2026 grid.
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SubscribeBehind the leading pair, McLaren's Oscar Piastri secured the third spot on the grid, while Isack Hadjar put in an impressive fourth-place performance in his return weekend for Red Bull following a wrist injury.
Lando Norris rounded out the top five for McLaren, though his session ended on a frustrating note after locking up and sliding into the run-off area at Turn 3 during his final push.
Mixed Fortunes and Grid Upsets in Baku
Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth, followed by Pierre Gasly in seventh, while Max Verstappen faced a disappointing eighth-place finish after yellow flags hindered his final flying lap.
The competitive midfield and lower-order positions saw plenty of drama, headlined by a major qualifying setback for Kimi Antonelli. The young Mercedes driver suffered a crash during Q1, relegating him to a P16 start for Saturday's race.
Rounding out the top ten positions were Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Alpine's Franco Colapinto, securing ninth and tenth respectively, though Sainz remained under post-session stewards" investigation for a potential yellow flag infringement.
Further down the grid, Ollie Bearman captured eleventh for Haas, ahead of Liam Lawson and Alex Albon, while veterans and newcomers alike scrambled to optimize setups for the challenging street circuit.