Barcelona-Catalunya GP Qualifying: George Russell pips Lewis Hamilton to pole position as Charles Lederc crashes out | F1 News

George Russell just pipped Lewis Hamilton to claim a much-needed pole position in his bid to kick start a championship fightback at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, was third in the second Mercedes but Charles Leclerc, another pole contender, crashed out in the other Ferrari at the start of Q3 and qualified 10th.

Having fallen 68 points behind his Mercedes team-mate after failing to score points in the last two grands prix, Russell needed a big weekend and has hitherto delivered one with an edge over his title-leading team-mate around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya so far.

But in a Q3 shootout compromised by Leclerc’s accident at Turn Four, Russell was pushed all the way for it and produced a superb final lap of 1:14.679 to initially outpace Antonelli by an impressive 0.3s margin.

But Hamilton, carrying Ferrari’s hopes after his team-mate’s crash, nearly beat both Mercedes’ with a brilliant final lap of his own to fall just 0.064s short in pursuit of his first Grand Prix pole since 2023.

Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren ahead of Max Verstappen in the lead Red Bull in fifth.

More to follow…

Sky Sports F1’s Barcelona-Catalunya GP schedule

Sunday June 14
7.35am: F3 Feature Race
9.05am: Porsche Supercup
10.20am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Barcelona-Catalunya GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
2pm: THE BARCELONA-CATALONIA GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Barcelona-Catalunya GP reaction: Checkered Flag
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

Formula 1 is in Spain for the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with live coverage on Sky Sports F1. Sunday’s race starts at 2pm. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime