George Russell secured pole position at the Formula 1 qualifying session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. The Mercedes driver achieved this feat with a fast lap time of 1:42.526. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari took second place, while Oscar Piastri from McLaren claimed the third starting spot.
The session began with a delay as the track required additional cleanup. In the first qualifying round (Q1), Max Verstappen took the initial lead before Russell overtook him, recording a time of 1:43.615. Notably, both Aston Martin drivers withdrew during this round due to engine penalties, which required them to start from the back.
Russell continued his dominance in Q2, while Verstappen advanced to the second position. Carlos Sainz Jr., driving for Williams, posted a strong performance to secure ninth place and qualify for the final round. The two Alpine drivers, Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, also successfully qualified for Q3, while drivers like Oliver Bearman and Liam Lawson did not make the cut.
The deciding third round (Q3) ultimately brought the final result. Russell first put down a time of 1:43.037, subsequently improving it in the final minute to achieve the definitive 1:42.526. Verstappen suffered a setback when he had to lift off the throttle due to an error made by Lando Norris at the emergency exit, which resulted in him only finishing in eighth place. Leclerc positioned himself at P2, though he was unable to overcome Mercedes’ clear dominance in the session.
