Russell takes Baku pole by more than eight tenths
George Russell beat Charles Leclerc to pole in Baku by more than 0.8 seconds, while Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli crashed during Q1 and could not take part in Q2.
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George Russell took pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by more than eight tenths of a second, with Charles Leclerc second in Baku qualifying. The Mercedes driver’s second-fastest lap would also have been enough for pole, according to RacingNews365 English. [1]
It was a sharply contrasting session for the two Mercedes drivers: Kimi Antonelli hit the wall during Q1. His earlier lap was fast enough to qualify for Q2, but the damage prevented him from taking part and he was classified 16th. [2] [3]
RacingNews365 English identifies the result as Russell’s 12th Formula 1 pole and reports that the winning margin was the largest since Max Verstappen’s at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix. Those historical comparisons are not independently verified in the supplied material. [1]
Speaking after qualifying in remarks reproduced by RacingNews365 English on 25 September, Russell said this was probably the biggest pole margin of his career, including his Formula 2 and Formula 3 years. That was his own recollection rather than a confirmed cross-series record.
He described his final effort as “the perfect lap” and estimated that a slipstream from Hadjar had contributed another one or two tenths of a second on the back straight. The estimated benefit was Russell’s assessment, not a telemetry-based measurement provided by the report. [1]
Russell also acknowledged a potentially unresolved challenge from Verstappen, whom he described as very fast over the weekend. He said he did not know what had happened at the end of qualifying and suggested a yellow flag might have denied Verstappen a final attempt. The report does not confirm that explanation or establish what another lap might have produced. [1]
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