Russell takes Baku pole in season’s biggest qualifying gap
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 25, 2026
Russell takes pole
George Russell put Mercedes on pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, and he did it by controlling every stage of qualifying. He topped every segment, then sealed the job with a lap of 1 minute, 42.526 seconds. It was his fifth pole of the 2026 season and his first since the Austrian Grand Prix in late June. Charles Leclerc qualified second and Oscar Piastri was third, but Russell set the benchmark and kept it. He put himself in front early, stayed there through the session and finished with the fastest time when it mattered most. That made the pole a clean result for Mercedes and a sharp response from Russell after the long stretch since his last top spot. Russell said the Mercedes car felt great and said the team was in a strong position to fight for the win. He also said yellow flags and run-off excursions from several drivers disrupted the session.
Antonelli crash hurts Mercedes
Kimi Antonelli’s qualifying went the other way in Q1. He crashed into the Turn 1 wall, damaged his Mercedes and ended his session early. Antonelli had already done enough on his first lap to advance to Q2 on paper, but the contact stopped him from turning that pace into a better starting position. He was classified 16th on the grid, a result that showed how costly one mistake can be in a tight qualifying session. Antonelli made that point himself after the run. “I need to do a much better job,” he said. The quote fit the day. His first lap gave him a path forward, then the wall closed it off. Mercedes came out of qualifying with one driver on pole and the other mired in the lower part of the order, a split outcome that framed the team’s afternoon as sharply as any timing sheet could.
Mercedes sees the front
Russell’s pole and Antonelli’s crash left Mercedes with two very different stories from the same session, but the team still had the headline start. Russell’s pace backed that up despite the interruptions he described from yellow flags and run-off excursions. That gave Mercedes a strong platform for race day and left Russell with a clear view of the team’s position. Antonelli’s crash showed the other side of qualifying, ending his session early and leaving Mercedes with one car at the front and one deep in the order. Mercedes headed into the race with its drivers on opposite ends of the order.
