Hamilton finishes second

LIVE: Q3 enters the final stretch after Leclerc’s crash

Thumbs up! George Russell has been unstoppable in Barcelona so far.(Bild: AP/Joan Monfort)

George Russell made a comeback in the Formula 1 World Championship battle on Saturday by securing pole position in Spain. The Mercedes driver secured the top spot on the grid for Sunday’s Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix (3:00 p.m./ORF 1, Sky) in qualifying, narrowly edging out Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton (+0.064 sec.). Championship leader Kimi Antonelli took third place in the second Mercedes (+0.319) ahead of World Champion Lando Norris (+0.322) in the McLaren and Red Bull star Max Verstappen (+0.342).

“It’s nice to feel the groove again,” Russell radioed to the pits with satisfaction after finishing without points in two consecutive Grand Prix races following a retirement and a harsh penalty. Now the Briton is aiming for his second GP victory this year after his season-opening win in Melbourne. “It’s been a great weekend so far,” the 28-year-old emphasized shortly afterward. “I haven’t had any luck until now, but everything feels much better now.” For Russell, it was his third pole position this year; for Mercedes, it was the 150th in F1 history.

Mercedes vs. Hamilton
Russell expects an “interesting race” on Sunday; in particular, Hamilton’s fast-starting Ferrari could make for an exciting start to the race on the long run to the first corner. The record-holding world champion is on the front row for the first time since joining Scuderia last year. “It feels great. It’s going to be a good battle tomorrow; we’ve got a race,” said Hamilton, the record winner at the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona with six victories.

Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Kimi Antonelli (from left)(Bild: GEPA)

Meanwhile, teenager Antonelli is not on the front row for the first time in the seventh race weekend of the season. “I didn’t quite have the feel for the car yet,” said the 19-year-old Italian, who is nonetheless looking forward to race Sunday. Behind Russell and Hamilton, the top group was tightly bunched. Verstappen, who celebrated his first victory in Barcelona ten years ago, was not far behind Antonelli. Teammate Isack Hadjar, in sixth place ahead of last year’s winner Oscar Piastri (McLaren), was also within striking distance. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, crashed his Ferrari into the barriers during the final qualifying session after a driving error, causing a lengthy interruption.

Here are the results:

Alonso disappointed
Local hero Fernando Alonso was left disappointed, as he will start the first of two home races in Spain from 22nd and last place on the grid in his Aston Martin. In Monaco the previous week, the 44-year-old had secured the first point of the season for his team by finishing tenth. In September, the premier class of motorsport will make its debut in Madrid.

In the overall World Championship standings, Antonelli, who is aiming for his sixth consecutive Grand Prix victory, already leads Hamilton by 66 points. Russell trails by another two points.