George Russell secured Mercedes' fifth pole of the season in Baku. Carlos Sainz reached Q3 for the first time in 2026, but a yellow-flag investigation could still change his starting place.
The fastest lap in Baku was 1:42.526. George Russell set that time for Mercedes and secured the team's fifth pole of the season, his first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June.
Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.837 seconds behind. The gap was huge. Max Verstappen ended the session eighth, while Carlos Sainz took ninth after reaching Q3 for the first time in 2026.
Russell beat Charles Leclerc by 0,837 seconds — один из самых крупных отрывов на поуле в Баку за последние годы.
Franco Colapinto completed the top ten. Sainz sits behind Verstappen and ahead of the Argentine in the provisional order. Reuters confirmed Russell's pole, while ESPN and Grandprix reported his 1:42.526 lap.
The order could still change.
Stewards are investigating Sainz over a possible yellow-flag infringement. No penalty had been announced in the supplied information. His ninth-place start therefore remains subject to the stewards' decision.
Mercedes controlled the decisive phase despite Russell's teammate being absent. None of the leading drivers beat the benchmark on the final laps. Russell's 1:42.526 remained the fastest time of the session.
The published qualifying classification lists Sainz at 1:44.566. That put him immediately behind Verstappen and ahead of Colapinto.
BBC приводит полный порядок первой десятки: Russell, Leclerc, Piastri, Hadjar, Norris, Hamilton, Gasly, Verstappen, Sainz и Colapinto. Такая расстановка подчёркивает, что квалификация в Баку была определена не только темпом, но и последствиями инцидентов в финальной фазе.
Yellow flags shaped the closing minutes. Lando Norris ran into the escape area at Turn Five after another yellow flag and could not improve his time. Colapinto also triggered a yellow flag, but he recovered the car and stayed in contention. He eventually took tenth.
BBC and ESPN both described the final phase as heavily affected by yellow flags. The session was not decided by speed alone.
Russell called his lap exceptionally clean. He said the car felt very strong. Verstappen had been quick throughout the weekend, according to Russell, which made the Dutchman's eighth-place result a sharp contrast with his earlier pace.
RacingNews365 described Russell's advantage as the biggest pole margin since the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix.
Sainz made Q3 for the first time this season. That puts him among the top ten, but the investigation leaves the result unsettled. Fernando Alonso also endured a difficult weekend.
Alonso qualified nineteenth and will start from the back after receiving a penalty for changing numerous power-unit components. That gives Aston Martin's driver the lowest grid position among the Spanish competitors. Sainz remains the only Spanish driver inside the top ten.
The contrast with the changing conditions reported in Barcelona's weather report is clear. In Baku, lap execution and race control shaped the result more than a settled running order.
Russell used the opportunity. Leclerc could not close the gap, and Verstappen was pushed down to eighth.
Russell's pole is secure on the available information. Sainz has progress, but his starting place still carries a question mark. Mercedes has the front-row advantage, Ferrari starts alongside it, and Red Bull must recover from eighth.
