"That was very weird. I’ve never locked up there in my whole career," Russell said.
The British driver managed to return to the pit lane for necessary repairs and continued the session, though he ultimately expressed confusion over the incident.
During the final Q3 runs, the McLaren cars struggled for grip and went out early but failed to match the blistering pace set by Mercedes and Ferrari.
Leclerc temporarily held the top spot before being surpassed by Hamilton, until the final Mercedes runs put Antonelli ahead of Russell by nine-hundredths of a second.
The final laps created a tense showdown where Hamilton sought to improve after correcting a minor slide at Village on his previous run.
Antonelli went out first after questioning the team's track strategy, while Hamilton chose to run last to capitalize on track evolution.
>>> Andrew Giuliani Defends US World Cup Hosting Amid Iran Controversies
The Italian's tactical worries proved unnecessary as he improved his time in the final sectors, stopping the clock at 1 minute 28.111 seconds to guarantee pole position over Leclerc and Hamilton.
