F1 Azerbaijan GP: George Russell holds off late Max Verstappen charge for victory

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — George Russell claimed pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, positioning himself to narrow Kimi Antonelli's substantial 81-point lead in the Formula 1 standings. Russell had never started on pole before since his win at the Austrian Grand Prix last month, securing the position after a significant margin over his rivals in Friday’s qualifying session.

Russell expressed his excitement, noting that "The car’s been feeling great this weekend and, on a track like this, when you can hook it up like that, it feels really amazing." Following his teammate, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari occupied the second spot, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri securing the third position. Antonelli faced a setback in qualifying, crashing into a wall and starting from 16th place.

Despite this, Russell remains optimistic about his teammate’s chances, joking that "Started 19th in Monza and now he’s in 16th, so he should be leading a few laps earlier this time." Mercedes is expected to dominate with its superior straight-line speed, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, being the only race this year on a Saturday, benefits from the Baku City Circuit, which features the longest straight in Formula 1.

The reason for this shift in the race schedule is to prevent a clash with a national day of remembrance in Azerbaijan on Sunday. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is the only other race scheduled for a Saturday this year.