Russell takes Baku pole, Antonelli crashes out in Q1 to 16th
George Russell (Mercedes) took pole for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a 1:42.526, beating Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) by 0.837 seconds — the biggest pole margin Baku has produced this season. The bigger story was his teammate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who crashed out of Q1 after clipping the wall at Turn 1 and was left 16th on the grid. With the race running this Saturday afternoon rather than Sunday, the points leader now starts from the midfield, throwing the title fight wide open.
Antonelli hits the wall with seven minutes left in Q1
Antonelli crashed into the inside wall at Turn 1 with roughly seven minutes remaining in Q1. According to The Race, the impact damaged the front-left wheel and punctured the tyre. He wanted to continue, but race engineer Peter Bonnington told him to stop the car, judging there wouldn't be enough time to repair it even if he made it back to the garage. Antonelli pulled over and watched the rest of Q1 through the fencing; he ended up 16th. He reportedly called the crash 'very frustrating'.
The incident left Russell as effectively Mercedes' sole representative for the rest of qualifying. He set the benchmark early in Q3 and extended his advantage through the session — only Leclerc and Oscar Piastri (McLaren) finished within a second of his pole time. Piastri took third, just 0.001s behind Leclerc.
Sainz and Perez hit with grid penalties after the session
Stewards issued two penalties after qualifying. Carlos Sainz (Williams) received a five-place grid penalty and two penalty points (four in the last 12 months) for failing to slow for yellow flags after Franco Colapinto (Alpine) went off at Turn 15 late in Q3. Stewards rejected Sainz's argument that a stronger reaction in a later sector could offset an insufficient one earlier, stressing that each yellow-flag sector requires its own reaction. The penalty dropped Sainz from ninth to 14th.
Sergio Perez (Cadillac) was handed a three-place penalty for impeding Piastri in Q1, with stewards noting he ignored two radio warnings from his team and forced Piastri to lift unnecessarily through Turns 18-19-20. Since Perez had already been eliminated in Q1 and finished 20th, the penalty had no effect on his grid slot — he stays at the back.
Hadjar surprises in fourth, Verstappen frustrated
Isack Hadjar (Red Bull), back from a wrist injury, reached Q3 in his first qualifying session since July and took a strong fourth. His teammate Max Verstappen managed only eighth, complaining over the radio during Q1 that the car was 'bottoming like crazy on the front, I can't brake.' Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) was sixth, while Lando Norris (McLaren) settled for fifth after locking up at Turn 3 on his final lap.
Final grid (top 10)
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russell | Mercedes | 1:42.526 |
| 2 | Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.837 |
| 3 | Piastri | McLaren | +0.838 |
| 4 | Hadjar | Red Bull | +0.974 |
| 5 | Norris | McLaren | +1.146 |
| 6 | Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.332 |
| 7 | Gasly | Alpine | +1.521 |
| 8 | Verstappen | Red Bull | +1.555 |
| 9 | Colapinto | Alpine | +2.437 |
| 14 | Sainz (5-place penalty) | Williams | +2.040 |
| 16 | Antonelli (Q1 crash) | Mercedes | No time set |