Dramatic Qualifying in Baku

In a nearly two-hour session interrupted by six red flags, both drivers kept their cool to net solid starting positions for tomorrow’s race.

Both drivers ran two sets of the C6 Soft compound in FP3, meaning they carried three sets of the C5 Medium and two sets of the red-walled compound into qualifying.

George and Kimi got their first look of the weekend at the Medium tyre in Q1, using it to progress to Q2.

They then took a solitary set of the Medium tyre to progress to Q3.

In a dramatic end to the session, neither driver had a time on the board heading into the closing three minutes due to red flag interruptions.

Kimi took the Medium compound whilst George was on the Soft; the former used that to take P4 and his best qualifying performance since Miami. George meanwhile came across the line in P5.

Kimi Antonelli

That was a very difficult qualifying session for everyone out there! We had really windy conditions but also rain which made the white lines around the circuit in particular feel like ice. Judging how much to push and when was a real challenge and that wasn’t helped by all the red flag interruptions. You usually want to get into a rhythm for qualifying but that wasn’t possible today.

For my last run, we opted to take the Medium tyre. I couldn’t quite get the required temperature into it as the track was still cold and slippery. I also lost a few tenths with a gust of wind into the final corner. Without those, I think we could have been on the front-row. That is a shame, but we still have a decent starting position for tomorrow. Hopefully we can look forward and be in the battle for the top three.

George Russell

That was a frantic qualifying session. P5 is perhaps not the maximum we could have achieved today but it still gives us a solid starting position for tomorrow. That is even more important when you see how others struggled with the difficult conditions and where they will be starting for the Grand Prix.

It wasn’t just the wind or the rain that came and went several times that made it challenging. We also had to evaluate the Medium tyre, which we only ran for the first time this weekend in Q1. It proved a useful tyre to get through the first two segments but, as the track cooled and more rain fell, we opted to take the Soft compound for our final run. That was probably the correct decision, but I wasn’t able to maximise the lap as we ran on the early side when the track was perhaps a little more slippery. From a personal perspective, I’ve not felt 100 per cent this weekend either. That made today even tougher but I’m looking forward to resting up tonight, coming back stronger tomorrow and hopefully being in the fight for the podium.

Toto Wolff, CEO & Team Principal

That was a tricky session where we ultimately finish slightly disappointed with the final result. Several of our nearest competitors fell by the wayside as qualifying progressed but we couldn’t take full advantage. We opted to split the tyre compound across the cars for the final run but neither driver felt that they extracted the maximum. That was a shame, but P4 and P5 still gives Kimi and George a good chance to fight for a strong result tomorrow.

Sunday is where the points are scored, so we aren’t going to get ahead of ourselves, but it has been pleasing to see Kimi’s execution so far this weekend. He has kept it clean and in a session where others struggled, he kept a cool head throughout. George meanwhile has battled through illness and yet continued to deliver on track whilst not at 100 per cent. That is exactly in keeping with his character and he will be determined to finish the job with a good performance tomorrow, irrespective of how he is feeling.

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

Any qualifying session that lasts for nearly two hours and features six red flags puts the whole team, from the mechanics in the garage, to the engineers and strategists on the pit wall, and of course the drivers, under plenty of pressure. As we saw today, many teams failed to get it right and that will leave them out of position for the Grand Prix. In the final reckoning, we likely could have ended slightly further forward than P4 and P5. On a day as tough as this though, we will take the positive that it gives both cars a good platform from which they can look to score solid points tomorrow.

Tomorrow likely won’t be any easier than what we have seen today. There is still some forecast rain for the morning, and the wind is likely to be gusting just as it was for qualifying. We will need to be razor sharp in our execution in the pit lane and on the pit wall, and the same will be true for the drivers out on track. If we can do that, then we have a good chance of moving forward and fighting for the podium.

FP3 Result

Qualifying Result