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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. |
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DARIO MARRAFUSCHI –
PIRELLI MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR
“oday'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."
FORMULA 2
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.
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