What explains Mercedes' most dominant performance of 2026

George Russell took pole for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by 0.837 seconds, Mercedes' biggest qualifying margin of 2026, surpassing its previous best of 0.785s from Australia. Max Verstappen, who had topped final practice, ended up eighth for Red Bull, over 1.5 seconds off pole, citing a mysterious power issue that left him consistently down on power compared to team-mate Isack Hadjar, plus a battery problem and a yellow flag that spoiled his final Q3 lap. Verstappen estimated his true deficit was closer to 1.014s once those factors were accounted for, with Hadjar the leading Red Bull in fourth. Verstappen said the team needs to diagnose the issue before deciding whether to take a new power unit.