George Russell just silenced Jacques Villeneuve’s ‘never seen’ claim with Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole

Mercedes driver George Russell secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a dominant lap in Q3, finishing ahead of rivals Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. Meanwhile, Russell's teammate and championship rival Kimi Antonelli crashed out in Q1 and is set to start from 16th on the grid.

Russell's qualifying performance followed criticism from pundit Jacques Villeneuve on Sky F1, who claimed Russell had not outperformed Antonelli this season. A potential victory in Baku could reduce Antonelli's championship lead over Russell to 56 points, while grid penalties were also handed to Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez.