Russell takes Baku pole by more than eight tenths

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 was eliminated in Q1 after hitting the wall. The report does not establish the extent of any damage or his final starting position.

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]