Russell Takes Azerbaijan GP Pole After F1 Leader Antonelli Hits the Wall
- On Friday, Max Verstappen recorded the fastest lap at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, clocking 1:43.922 in final practice. The Red Bull driver edged out Mercedes' George Russell by 0.099 seconds, denying him a clean sweep of practice.
- Utilizing a significant slipstream along Baku City Circuit's 2km straight, Verstappen secured the top spot despite his car's instability. Russell had previously dominated both practice sessions on Thursday, showcasing Mercedes' strong pace.
- Gusty conditions and debris prompted a virtual safety car during the session, while the Red Bull driver reported his RB22 was "jumping like a kangaroo" before using the Turn 15 runoff. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll damaged his front-left suspension after hitting the wall.
- Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix begins at 1600 local time today. Because the race takes place on Saturday rather than the traditional Sunday, the compressed schedule forces teams to finalize setups rapidly.
- Lewis Hamilton finished third, while world championship leader Kimi Antonelli placed fourth after missing Thursday's track time. Antonelli holds an 81-point lead over Russell with nine rounds remaining, setting the stage for Saturday's grid-deciding qualifying.
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Mercedes driver George Russell won qualifying at the Formula One World Championship in Baku. His teammate and overall series leader Kimi Antonelli's time trial ended in the second session.
Antonelli brought down to earth by ‘stupid’ qualifying crash
Runaway Formula One championship leader Kimi Antonelli called the mistake that put him out of qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix “stupid” and said it had brought him back down to earth. The 20-year-old, who leads Mercedes teammate George Russell by 81 points in the overall standings after 14 rounds, clobbered the wall at the […]
Mercedes drivers were the most prominent in qualifying for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan round - one convincingly won pole position, while the other ended the performance early due to an incident.
<p>F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026: Race in Baku George Russell wins qualifying for the 15th stage of Formula 1 in Baku. Furstappen will start eighth and the race will take place on Saturday through Memorial Day.</p>
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