Russell bounces back to take Barcelona Grand Prix pole with Hamilton second

[p]Italian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a], who will be seeking his sixth win in a row on Sunday to extend what is currently a 66-point lead over seven-times world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Hamilton[/a], ‌qualified third with McLaren's world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Lando Norris[/a] fourth.[/p][p]Mercedes have taken pole for all seven F1 races so far in 2026, and Saturday was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]‌Russell[/a]'s third of the season to 19-year-old Antonelli's four, in a morale boost for the Briton as ‌he seeks to bounce back from two races without scoring.[/p][p]The team are unbeaten in regular grands prix this campaign.[/p][p][b]"Nice to ‌feel in the groove again,"[/b] said Russell over the team radio after lapping 0.064 of a ‌second quicker than compatriot Hamilton for a 10th career pole ahead of what will be his 100th grand prix for Mercedes.[/p][p][b]"It's been a great weekend so far. I feel like my old self again, where every lap I'm doing the job, always fighting in those ‌top positions," [/b]he added later.[/p][p][b]"The last few races for numerous reasons haven't ⁠quite been on our side, but I came in ‌this weekend with a clean slate, felt good, and it's great to be on pole."[/b][/p][embed guid="d868eea9-2406-43da-8bb8-3483eaef38ee" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2065815994497421382" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Leclerc 'ashamed' after yet another crash[/h2][p]The final phase ​of qualifying was briefly halted after Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] crashed into the tyre wall at turn four.[/p][p]Leclerc clambered out and walked away after his third crash in eight days, with incidents in both ​qualifying and the race at his home Monaco Grand Prix last weekend.[/p][p]The Monegasque blamed himself, offering no excuses and saying he felt ashamed.[/p][p]He will start 10th, unless changes to the engine and gearbox are required.[/p][p]Hamilton was ⁠fastest in the first phase of qualifying, ​ahead of Russell and Leclerc, and will be chasing his first win since 2024 and first for Ferrari after finishing runner-up in the last two races.[/p][p][b]"The Mercedes guys did a good lap and congrats to George, but we are in a good a position to be able to fight tomorrow. We have a race,"[/b] said the 40-year-old, who ‌had looked like taking a first pole in nearly three years but lost time towards the end of his lap.[/p][embed guid="2cfff54c-69fe-434b-89e5-715d450ddc34" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2065822965422243927" social-type="twitter" /][p]Antonelli, who won from pole in Monaco, briefly went top with his final effort before Russell and then Hamilton found more speed.[/p][p][b]"It's been a little bit of a difficult weekend so far. I didn't really have the feeling with the car,"[/b] said the teenager.[/p][p]The Red Bulls of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hadjar-isack/8SAk38Ui/"]Isack Hadjar[/a] qualified fifth and sixth, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a], last year's winner from pole, seventh for McLaren, who had looked quick on Friday.[/p][p][b]"I think we've taken steps forward. We brought some little parts that seem to have helped fractionally, and at the minute fractions of a second can make a difference,"[/b] said Norris, who felt a win remained out of reach.[/p][p][b]"I think ‌it's nice that we could bounce back after a disappointing weekend (in Monaco), but we were three-and-a-half tenths off ​pole, and that's a big amount."[/b][/p][h2]Alonso to line up last[/h2][p]The pole for Mercedes also tied Ferrari's record ‌of 256 by a power unit manufacturer.[/p][embed guid="64af5c87-1e3d-4f33-bd33-898268188870" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2065817196240990669" social-type="twitter" /][p]Russell will actually be starting from the top slot for the 11th time but, by a statistical quirk, the Sao Paulo 2022 pole went to Haas's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/magnussen-kevin/KzLFpX0h/"]Kevin Magnussen[/a] even if the Dane did not start from the front.[/p][p]Racing Bulls' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lawson-liam/nap8RjeO/"]Liam Lawson[/a] will start in eighth place with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hulkenberg-nico/GfW4SMu7/"]Nico Hulkenberg[/a] ninth for Audi.[/p][p]Double world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-fernando/rVRhR90U/"]Fernando Alonso[/a] qualified last for Aston Martin ahead of ⁠what is likely his final Barcelona appearance, with the ⁠race off the calendar next year and the ‌44-year-old Spaniard out of contract at the end of the season.[/p]