George Russell demonstrated his dominance on the Baku street circuit by clinching pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while championship hopeful Kimi Antonelli suffered a crash in the first qualifying session that will see him line up from 16th on the grid. Russell’s performance has been consistently strong throughout the weekend, and his final lap in Q3 left him a full eight‑tenths of a second ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, underscoring the pace advantage his Mercedes currently enjoys. Antonelli’s mishap came early in the session when he mis‑judged the entry to Turn 1, clipping the inside wall and forcing the marshals to stop his car in the middle sector. Despite his attempts to continue and re‑join the pit lane, the damage was too severe to allow a safe return.
"I turned in and had a lot more front end compared to the lap before and I touched the wall," the young driver explained, lamenting the error that ended his flawless Q3 record for the 2026 season. "It was a mistake on my part, completely unnecessary.
I’m angry about it, but I’ll try to do better tomorrow." The incident reshapes the starting grid and gives Russell a golden opportunity to chip away at the 81‑point gap that separates him from Antonelli in the championship standings. When the lights go out at 12:00 pm on Saturday (with a build‑up broadcast from 10:30 am), viewers can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Russell, who last won at the Austrian Grand Prix in June, described the pole lap as "probably the biggest margin of my whole career, even including F2 and F3 days," adding that the car felt "really sweet" and "amazing" on a circuit where a well‑balanced setup can make a huge difference. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured third place on the grid, marking his best qualifying result since the Hungarian Grand Prix in July.
Red Bull rookie Isack Hadjar, returning from a wrist injury that forced him to miss the previous three race weekends, qualified fourth. Max Verstappen, a perennial pole contender, was hampered by yellow‑flag interruptions caused by Lando Norris, who locked up into Turn 3 during his final Q3 run. Norris will start fifth, while Verstappen fell to eighth behind Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton (sixth) and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly (seventh).
Williams made a rare appearance in Q3 for the first time this season, with Carlos Sainz initially qualifying ninth. However, a five‑place grid penalty for failing to slow under yellow‑flag conditions will relegate him to 14th on race day. Cadillac’s Sergio Perez qualified 20th but received a three‑place penalty for impeding Piastri in Q1.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll will also start from the back after taking on new power‑unit components, which incur additional grid drops. The provisional order after the final session was as follows: 1) George Russell (Mercedes) 2) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 3) Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 4) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) 5) Lando Norris (McLaren) 6) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 7) Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 8) Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 9) Carlos Sainz (Williams) – with a five‑place penalty – 10) Franco Colapinto (Alpine). Russell’s pole time of 1:42.526 was half a second faster than his nearest rival after he improved on his earlier runs, a margin no other driver could threaten.
Both Thursday practice sessions saw Russell on top, while Verstappen topped the final practice on Friday morning, indicating that the competition remains fierce despite Mercedes’ apparent edge. The lack of high‑speed corners at Baku led most teams, apart from McLaren, to run a single tyre set through the entire Q3, aiming to keep the compounds within their optimal operating window. Leclerc, a four‑time Baku pole‑sitter, ended up second but was still 0.837 seconds off Russell’s best lap.
Piastri and Hadjar maximised the performance of their machinery to secure the second row. Norris’ aggressive approach forced him into the run‑off area at Turn 3, compromising Verstappen’s lap as well. Russell reflected on his performance, saying, "It’s been a while, so it definitely feels good. It’s probably the biggest margin of my whole career, even including F2 and F3 days.
The lap felt really sweet. The car has been feeling great this weekend and on a track like this when you can hook it up like that it feels amazing." Antonelli’s error was uncharacteristic; he has made very few mistakes this season. The incident highlighted the fine line between confidence and over‑driving on a circuit where grip levels can change rapidly. The impact to his left‑front suspension was immediate, damaging the track rod and ending his qualifying run.
Just three weeks earlier, Antonelli achieved a remarkable victory from 19th on the grid at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, a circuit known for its high‑speed straights and overtaking opportunities. Baku, by contrast, features a series of slow‑speed corners that tend to spread the field, making such a comeback far more challenging. Russell told Sky Sports F1, "I’m feeling good but there are some fast drivers around.
Kimi has started lower down the order in some races this year and finished on the top step, so I won’t take anything for granted." The race schedule for Saturday, September 26, includes the F2 Feature Race at 7:55 am, Grand Prix build‑up at 10:30 am, the main race at 12:00 pm, followed by the chequered‑flag reaction at 2:00 pm and Ted’s Notebook at 3:00 pm, all broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event. Fans can stream Sky Sports flexibly via the NOW app, which offers a personal video feed without a long‑term contract and can be cancelled at any time.
For the best viewing experience, a Chrome browser is recommended to ensure full compatibility with the video player. The 2026 Formula 1 season continues to deliver high‑octane drama, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix promises to be a pivotal chapter in the championship battle.