George Russell delivered another stunning qualifying performance in Baku to take pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli suffered a major setback after crashing out in Q1.
Russell produced a brilliant final lap of 1:42.526 to secure his fifth pole position of the 2026 season. The Mercedes driver was in control throughout the final part of qualifying and finished 0.837 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Oscar Piastri secured third for McLaren, just 0.001 seconds behind Leclerc, while Isack Hadjar continued his impressive return from injury by qualifying fourth. Lando Norris took fifth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton in sixth.
Pierre Gasly qualified seventh for Alpine, with Max Verstappen only eighth after yellow flags prevented him from completing a clean final lap. Carlos Sainz put Williams ninth, while Franco Colapinto completed the top ten.
The biggest story of qualifying, however, came much earlier when Antonelli crashed out in Q1.
The championship leader had already set a lap good enough to progress into Q2, but the Mercedes driver lost control at Turn 1 and hit the barriers, damaging the front left suspension. Unable to continue, Antonelli was classified 16th and faces a difficult recovery drive in Saturday’s race.
It was a dramatic turnaround for Antonelli after a strong start to the weekend. He had suffered a hydraulic problem in FP1 before recovering to finish second behind Russell in FP2. He then qualified only fourth fastest in FP3, but appeared to have the pace to challenge for a strong grid position.
Instead, his championship challenge now faces an important test from the back of the field.
Russell took full advantage of his opportunity. After topping both Thursday practice sessions, he had been beaten by Verstappen in FP3, but returned to the top when it mattered most.
McLaren also showed strong pace in Q3, with Piastri briefly moving ahead of Russell during the opening runs. Russell responded with a 1:43.037 before finding another five tenths on his final attempt to produce the pole winning 1:42.526.
Verstappen will start eighth, despite showing strong pace during practice. The Red Bull driver was forced to back off on his final attempt because of yellow flags caused by Norris.
The Baku street circuit has already produced plenty of surprises this weekend, and Saturday’s race could provide another major twist in the championship battle.
Russell will start from pole with Leclerc alongside him, while Antonelli faces the difficult task of fighting through the field from 16th. With the championship leader starting deep in the pack and his closest rivals near the front, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix could become a crucial race in the 2026 title fight.
