What the teams said – Qualifying in Azerbaijan

George Russell secured a dominant pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing over eight tenths clear of the field. His Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli, faced a disappointing end to his session after crashing in Q1, forcing him to start from further back despite showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc managed to split the two McLarens to take second, while Lewis Hamilton struggled with tyre temperatures and a lack of a tow, finishing sixth. McLaren showed improved form with Oscar Piastri qualifying third, while Lando Norris starts fifth after a final lap error. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar impressed by qualifying fourth, while championship contender Max Verstappen struggled with engine power issues and traffic, qualifying only eighth. Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto both reached Q3, securing seventh and tenth respectively. Williams saw a breakthrough with their new chassis, as Carlos Sainz qualified ninth, though a grid penalty will hamper his race. Haas duo Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon both showed promise but narrowly missed out on Q3. Meanwhile, teams like Racing Bulls, Audi, Aston Martin, and Cadillac struggled to find pace, with many drivers hampered by yellow flags and traffic in the tricky, windy conditions at the Baku street circuit.