George Russell believes his growing confidence at Mercedes helped him secure a dominant pole position in qualifying at the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP.
The Briton has enjoyed a strong weekend so far, topping the timesheets in Thursday’s FP1 and FP2. Friday’s running got off to a tougher start, with Max Verstappen outpacing Russell in FP3, though the Mercedes driver later proved unbeatable in qualifying, topping Q1, Q2, and Q3 to take his fifth pole of the 2026 F1 season.
Russell: “It just all perfectly came together”
Speaking during the post-qualifying press conference, Russell explained how his final Q3 run produced a surprise advantage over the rest of the field, with Charles Leclerc finishing 0.837s behind in P2.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve been feeling in a great spot this whole weekend from FP1. I felt confident. I felt hooked up. You know, as I’ve said recently, I’m just getting more and more on top of this car and what it requires. And it’s just all feeling more intuitive. And, you know, I felt very confident we were in the running for pole,” he shared.
“But when I crossed the line and I saw the gap, I was, yeah, I was shocked. I knew the lap was was great. I had a nice slipstream at the end, which gave me an extra probably tenth and a half, two tenths. And it just all perfectly came together.”
Tyre management proved key
Russell also revealed how his approach to tyre management helped him find further time during Q3, with the Mercedes driver opting to remain on the same set of tyres throughout the session.
“It’s been a very challenging weekend with the tyres here for everybody. You know, we only used one set of tyres in all of Q3. That was my third lap on the tyres. Most of these guys also did two laps on the tyres. I think it was only McLaren who pitted for a new set. But it was just like these tyres could keep on going and going. And we certainly were not sure what the right strategy was going to be come Q3, whether using two sets of tyres, keeping the same set on.
“But I just wanted to stick with what we knew. I knew my first lap wasn’t going to be the best because we had all of the fuel in the car. So I just kind of wanted to put a banker on the board because this track requires a lot of commitment. So I just put a banker on the board and then obviously my next two laps were good enough for pole.”
The strategy ultimately paid off, with Russell improving on his previous time to set all three purple sectors on his final 1:42.526 lap.
A step in the right direction
Despite securing his first pole since Austria, Russell was reluctant to describe his 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP qualifying performance as a breakthrough, instead highlighting his progress.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say so. It’s definitely just been perfectly hooked up for me this weekend so far. But me and my team have put so much work in to help me get on top of the limitations. And I think since the summer break, it’s been great. And the performance has been substantially better than the results have shown. So, you know, it’s three front row starts in the four races since the break. I’m very pleased with.”
The result comes at a crucial point in the championship, with Russell currently sitting 81 points behind Mercedes teammate and rival Kimi Antonelli. Unlike Russell, Antonelli endured a session to forget, with a Turn 1 mistake in Q1 forcing him out of qualifying and leaving him set to start P16.
Asked whether he expects to carry the same pace into Saturday’s race, Russell said:
“No, for sure. For sure. Not as big as today. I think looking back on yesterday’s practice, I think Verstappen was the biggest threat. I think he probably got a bit blocked, I think, by Lando with the yellow flag at the end. So it didn’t have that chance to improve. But yeah, I think we really don’t know. You know, McLaren also threw out a big surprise at the beginning of Q3. They were one and two. And that was a surprise. But I feel Verstappen is going to be a threat. And obviously, can’t discount Kimi. You know, he started 19th in Monza and now he’s in 16th. So yeah, he should be leading by a few laps earlier this time.”
Russell on Antonelli’s qualifying error at the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP
With focus now turned to Saturday’s race, Russell will be searching for his first victory since Round 8 at Spielberg. Meanwhile, Antonelli’s P16 could give Russell an opportunity to make up ground in the championship.
“I mean, I can’t recall many mistakes he’s made this season, you know,” he said, when asked whether Antonelli’s qualifying mistake could signal a shift in the championship.“I think the performance outside today was great. But, you know, he’s been flawless this whole season. It’s, I think when you look at every championship campaign, even for the winners, there are mistakes along the way.
“So yeah, I still keep on believing and keep on fighting until it isn’t possible anymore. But I don’t feel any pressure. I feel excitement every time I jump in the car now, purely because I feel more confident in myself. And we spoke about it on Wednesday here, when that confidence starts to build, it’s just like this upward cycle.”
He concluded: “And on the flip side, when you’re on the back foot, you start losing that confidence and then you start pushing the limits more. And that’s when mistakes happen. But as I said, he’s been flawless this season. It’s the first mistake he’s made in a qualifying or race this whole year. So yeah, let’s see tomorrow.”
