Russell sets sights on victory after taking pole in Baku

Mercedes driver George Russell is targeting victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after securing pole position for Saturday’s race in Baku, with the Briton identifying the opening moments as crucial to his chances.

Russell said his qualifying session on Friday had gone exceptionally well and believes Mercedes has the pace needed to convert first place on the grid into a race win.

“I will try to turn pole position into a victory. I have a confident mindset, and the car is capable of an excellent pace. One of the key moments will be the start,” Russell said, according to Report.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start alongside Russell from second on the grid, and Russell expects the Monegasque to challenge for the lead immediately after the lights go out.

“I am sure that if I can maintain the lead after the start, then I will be able to build a gap and take the race to victory,” Russell said.

The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has already produced a major qualifying surprise. Russell secured his fifth pole of the season with a lap of 1:42.526, finishing 0.837 seconds ahead of Leclerc, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took third. Mercedes championship leader Kimi Antonelli crashed in Q1 and will start from 16th. The race is scheduled to begin at 15:00 local time on Saturday.

Baku has hosted Formula 1 since 2016, when the event was held as the European Grand Prix, before becoming the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 2017.

By Tamilla Hasanova