George Russell secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing eight-tenths of a second ahead of Charles Leclerc, who will start second. The margin is the largest for any driver in more than three years.
A Helping Hand from Norris
Russell received unexpected assistance from fellow British driver Lando Norris during qualifying. Norris caused a yellow flag in Q3 when he ran wide to avoid the wall, which ruined Max Verstappen's final lap. Norris also pushed for a change in the drivers' briefing that helped Russell.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the session, Russell explained that Norris had asked race control to change the colour of the advertising coverings on the wall at turn two. The coverings were originally black, making it hard for drivers to see the edge of the wall. They were changed to yellow for turns two and three.
Russell's Surprise at His Own Pace
Russell said the change allowed him to take a closer line and find extra speed heading onto the back straight. He noted that his pole lap was half a second quicker than his previous best effort, which would have been good enough for pole anyway.
Russell admitted he was surprised by the lap, but said he had been building up throughout the session, saving his best for the final run. He remained cautious about the threat from team-mate Kimi Antonelli, who won from 19th on the grid at Monza earlier this month.
