Russell takes Baku pole as championship leader Antonelli crashes out in qualifying

George Russell secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on Friday, dominating qualifying with a time of 1:42.526 minutes. His Mercedes teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli crashed out in Q1 after hitting the wall at Turn 1, damaging his car’s suspension and forcing him to start Saturday’s race from 16th on the grid.
Antonelli, who had advanced to Q2 based on earlier lap times, was visibly frustrated, apologizing to his team over the radio: “I’m sorry guys, my God.” Engineers confirmed the impact likely damaged the wheel axle or track rod, making repairs impossible. The 19-year-old Italian, who won from 19th in Monza three weeks ago, acknowledged the tighter overtaking opportunities in Baku would make his recovery far harder.
Russell’s pole, his fifth of the season, came ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (+0.837 seconds) and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen, four-time world champion, qualified eighth, 1.5 seconds off Russell’s pace. The race, scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. local time, was moved from Sunday due to Azerbaijan’s national remembrance day.
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