Russell takes Baku pole after Antonelli crashes in qualifying

George Russell secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, putting Mercedes at the front of the grid for Saturday’s race after championship leader Kimi Antonelli crashed out of qualifying in Q1. Charles Leclerc qualified second for Ferrari and Oscar Piastri third for McLaren. Antonelli will start 16th, leaving his title rival Russell with an opportunity to gain ground, though the race result remains unknown. Russell was nearly nine-tenths of a second quicker than the next driver, according to the qualifying accounts, and said a slipstream added roughly 0.15 to 0.20 seconds to his lap. It was his first pole since the Austrian Grand Prix in June. He said he felt confident in the car throughout the weekend and was surprised by the size of the gap when he crossed the line. Antonelli’s crash at Turn 1 ended his qualifying session and left his Mercedes too damaged to continue. He said a stronger headwind than on his previous lap affected the front of the car; turning in at roughly the same point, he clipped the wall.