Russell wary of Antonelli threat despite dominant Baku pole

George Russell refused to dismiss Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli as a threat to his chances for Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, even after starting from pole. The Briton, who set the pace in Friday qualifying and beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.837 seconds, begins the race with the championship leader now 16th after a costly qualifying crash. Antonelli leads Russell by 81 points after 14 rounds. Earlier, Antonelli hit the barriers at the first corner and then lost time due to a hydraulics issue during practice. Russell said he feels “in a great spot” and is confident about pushing for victory in Baku.