Russell untouchable on third Soft tyre run

George Russell dominated today’s qualifying session in Baku, securing pole position with a time of 1:42.526 and finishing more than eight tenths clear of second-placed Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque stopped the clock at 1:43.363, while Oscar Piastri completed the top three, just one thousandth of a second behind the Ferrari driver.

Russell set the lap that earned him pole on his third flying run in Q3, using the same set of Soft tyres throughout the decisive session. Both the Mercedes driver and Leclerc used only three sets of the red-banded compound during qualifying, managing to extract multiple competitive laps from each set. Piastri, by contrast, used four different sets of C5 tyres.

During FP3, twelve drivers split their programme between the Medium and Soft compounds, while the rest of the field focused exclusively on the C5. Everyone completed significant mileage to fine-tune car setup ahead of qualifying.

Max Verstappen set the benchmark in FP3 with a 1:43.922. George Russell finished second on 1:44.021, with Lewis Hamilton third on 1:44.033. Verstappen and Russell began their programmes on the Medium compound before switching to the Soft, while Hamilton ran exclusively on the C5, using two new sets during the session. All three drivers set their fastest times on the softest compound in the range.

While track temperatures reached 40°C during FP3, with wind gusts between 30 and 35 km/h, the figure steadily declined during qualifying, falling to around 30°C by the end of the hour-long session. Ambient temperatures remained relatively stable throughout the day, hovering around 25°C.

The Pirelli Pole Position Award was presented by Casey Stoner, the two-time MotoGP World Champion who claimed titles in 2007 and 2011. The Australian retired from competition in 2012 after contesting 178 Grands Prix and securing 89 podium finishes.

DARIO MARRAFUSCHI – PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR

“Today's conditions were, as expected, significantly different from yesterday's, with lower air and track temperatures and strong winds that contributed to making the cars less stable, particularly at the rear. At the start of FP3, the track was very dirty and offered limited grip, to the point that lap times were slower than those recorded in yesterday's session. Drivers spent the first hour building confidence with the circuit and refining car setup ahead of qualifying.

Track evolution was significant throughout the day, allowing lap times to improve consistently and eventually reach the levels predicted by qualifying simulations. The absence of meaningful degradation enabled teams to push for multiple consecutive runs on the same set of Soft tyres, benefiting from track evolution, lower fuel loads and improved tyre operating conditions. It was therefore no surprise that several drivers, including pole-sitter Russell, set their fastest laps on the third attempt using the same set.

The data gathered so far confirms that a one-stop strategy remains the most competitive option. Combinations involving the Medium and Soft compounds appear particularly effective given the limited wear levels observed. The use of the Hard compound in the second stint could become an alternative worth considering should an early neutralisation occur.”

Friday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix featured a double-header for the Formula 2 Championship. The morning Sprint Race was won by Dino Beganovic, ahead of Laurens van Hoepen in second place and Alexander Dunne in third. All three drivers on the podium completed the entire race on the Soft compound.

Later in the afternoon, the field returned to the track for the 28-lap Feature Race. Victory went to Alexander Dunne, who started on Supersoft tyres before making the scheduled switch to the Soft compound. A subsequent red flag allowed him to fit another new set of Softs and secure the win. Martinius Stenshorne crossed the line in second place, while Dino Beganovic completed the top three.

Thanks to his victory and podium finish from the morning race, Dunne has reignited his title challenge. He now sits third in the standings, just eight points behind championship leader Rafael Camara. Nikola Tsolov occupies second place, only one point behind Camara. The second Feature Race of the Baku weekend is scheduled for Saturday.