Russell Beats Hamilton by 0.064 Seconds for Barcelona Pole as Ferrari Upgrade Lifts Hamilton to P2
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 13
Russell Beats Hamilton by 0.064 Seconds for Barcelona Pole as Ferrari Upgrade Lifts Hamilton to P2
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 13
Summary
George Russell took pole with a 1:15.717 lap, edging Lewis Hamilton by 0.064 seconds for Mercedes’ third front-row lockout with the seven-time champion since 2024 Silverstone.
Hamilton’s second place was his best Ferrari grand prix qualifying result, helped by a major aerodynamic upgrade, setup tweaks and a pre-session reset after he had run off the pace in practice.
Race prospects remain uncertain because tyre degradation is running about twice Ferrari’s expectations, pointing to at least a two-stop strategy on a circuit already tough on tyres.
Russell said a “big reset” in setup and approach restored his confidence after difficult weekends in Miami, Canada and Monaco, while team-mate Kimi Antonelli admitted lacking single-lap pace.
Ferrari’s stronger one-lap speed was tempered by Charles Leclerc crashing at Turn 4 in Q3, leaving him 10th and limiting the team’s options for Sunday’s race.