2026 Azerbaijan GP Friday recap: Verstappen dominates FP3, Russell takes pole position

George Russell produced one of the most emphatic qualifying performances of the 2026 Formula 1 season to claim pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, completing a dramatic Friday in Baku that saw championship leader Kimi Antonelli crash out in Q1.

Oscar Piastri secured third for McLaren, while Antonelli will start only 16th after hitting the wall at Turn 1.

Verstappen strikes back in FP3

Mercedes had controlled Thursday, with Russell topping both FP1 and FP2, but Verstappen finally broke that sequence in Friday's final practice.

The Red Bull driver set a 1:43.922, edging Russell by 0.099s after benefiting from a substantial tow along Baku's enormous main straight. Lewis Hamilton completed the top three for Ferrari, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly.

It was not an entirely clean session for Verstappen. The Dutchman complained that his RB22 was "jumping like a kangaroo", ran into the Turn 15 escape road and brushed the barriers as Baku's gusty winds made the cars increasingly unpredictable.

The performance nevertheless offered encouragement after Red Bull introduced its final major upgrade package of the 2026 season, including revisions to the floor and sidepods.

McLaren remained comparatively quiet, with Piastri seventh and Lando Norris eighth despite the team's Baku-focused aerodynamic updates.

But the picture would change considerably in qualifying.

Antonelli's championship weekend takes another blow

The biggest shock arrived during Q1.

Antonelli clipped the inside wall at Turn 1, immediately damaging the front-left suspension and puncturing the tyre. Although he had already recorded a lap, it was not quick enough to survive the session, leaving the championship leader eliminated in 16th place.

It continued an unusually difficult Baku weekend for the Italian, whose opening practice had already been disrupted by a hydraulic failure.

The consequences could be significant. Antonelli arrived in Azerbaijan 81 points ahead of Russell after consecutive victories at Monza and Madrid. With his closest championship rival now starting from pole, Saturday offers Russell a clear opportunity to reduce that deficit.

Russell delivers a devastating Q3 lap

While Antonelli's qualifying unravelled, Russell's became increasingly impressive.

The Mercedes driver topped Q2 with a 1:43.462, before finding another level in the final shootout. Piastri and Norris initially threatened the Mercedes, but Russell responded with a 1:43.037 before producing the lap that effectively ended the contest.

His final 1:42.526 put him more than eight tenths clear of Leclerc, with Piastri taking third. Russell later described the effort as a "perfect lap".

Leclerc's second place was another strong Baku qualifying result for Ferrari, while Piastri finally demonstrated some of the potential promised by McLaren's latest upgrades.

Isack Hadjar delivered one of the performances of the session on his return from injury, qualifying fourth for Red Bull, ahead of Norris in fifth.

Norris had looked capable of challenging higher up the grid but failed to complete his final lap cleanly, triggering yellow flags that also compromised Verstappen. The reigning Azerbaijan GP winner could manage only eighth, a surprising result after topping FP3.

Carlos Sainz qualified ninth with Williams, while Franco Colapinto completed the Q3 runners in 10th.

Russell holds the advantage heading into Saturday

After three practice sessions in which Mercedes consistently looked strong, qualifying confirmed that Russell possesses genuine race-winning pace in Baku.

His advantage is further strengthened by Antonelli's Q1 exit and Verstappen starting only eighth, although Leclerc, Piastri and Hadjar ensure the opening laps will be anything but straightforward.

Track position is particularly valuable around the 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit, while Pirelli expects a one-stop race to be the baseline thanks to relatively low degradation. That makes Saturday's start, Safety Car timing and strategic execution potentially decisive.

For now, though, there is one clear headline from Friday: Russell has put himself in the strongest possible position to capitalise on his team-mate's costly mistake.