Antonelli crashes in Baku qualifying, starts 16th as Russell takes pole
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli hit a wall in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and will start 16th, while teammate George Russell secured pole position.
Kimi Antonelli suffered a crash in the qualifying session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leaving him to start the race from 16th on the grid. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver said he misjudged the grip on his first lap, hit the wall and described the incident as an "unnecessary mistake" that reminded him to stay focused.
"I misjudged with the grip being so different compared to the first lap. I hit the wall. Unnecessary mistake early on. So it's a good way to come back to earth and to remind myself I need to be on top of it every time because otherwise I do these mistakes and a very stupid one," Antonelli said.
He added that he was "very mad about it" after a weekend hampered by a hydraulic leak that limited his practice time. In final practice, Antonelli was 0.252 seconds slower than teammate George Russell, but posted a faster lap than Russell in his first qualifying attempt before the error on his second run.
Russell, who leads the championship, qualified on pole with a margin of 0.837 seconds over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, while McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen lined up third and eighth respectively. Russell praised Antonelli's season-long consistency, noting the Baku mistake was his first significant error in a competitive session.
"You can't discount Kimi. You know, started 19th in Monza and now he's in 16th, so, yeah, he should be leading by a few laps early this time," Russell said.
Verstappen, who qualified eighth after a problematic session, cited engine and battery issues that hampered his performance. The Baku street circuit, known for its long straight and frequent incidents, promises a race where overtaking opportunities could reshape the championship battle.