‘Perfect lap’ gives Russell pole for Azerbaijan GP as Antonelli crashes out
The 28-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 42.526 seconds to beat nearest rival Charles Leclerc.
George Russell secured his first pole position in seven races on Friday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, following a crash by his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli during qualifying. Russell's best lap of 1:42.526 seconds was 0.837 seconds faster than the nearest rival. The 28-year-old Briton had never qualified better than fifth in Baku before, but he drove with great confidence to establish his street credibility in commanding style.
Antonelli crashed heavily during Q1, suffering damage to his car and ending up qualifying 16th. Russell's lap time advantage was the biggest since the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is being held on Saturday due to the national day of remembrance on September 27.
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