BAKU: Mercedes driver George Russell secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Friday. Championship leader and teammate Kimi Antonelli crashed during the opening qualifying session and finished 16th.
Russell clocked 1 minute 42.526 seconds at Baku City Circuit, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.837 seconds. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took third, with Red Bull Racing’s Isack Hadjar fourth on his return to competition.
Antonelli hit the wall and damaged the front-left of his car during the first qualifying segment, known as Q1. His earlier lap secured passage into the second segment, but the damage prevented him from taking part.
The Italian entered the weekend with an 81-point championship advantage over Russell. He had won eight of the opening 14 races, including the previous two.
Russell carried his Thursday practice pace into qualifying after leading both sessions that day. He improved again in the final segment to secure pole.
“The lap felt really sweet,” Russell said.
Leclerc admitted the gap surprised him. Behind the Ferrari driver, Piastri missed out on a front-row place by just 0.001 seconds.
Read: Lewis Hamilton Silent on George Russell’s Kim Kardashian Joke
Saturday’s race gives Russell an opportunity to reduce his teammate’s championship lead. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place on September 26.
(With input from Formula1.com)
