George Russell held off Max Verstappen by just 0.196 seconds to win a chaotic 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. The Mercedes driver converted pole into his third victory of the season, despite two Safety Car periods and intense pressure from Verstappen in the closing laps.
Verstappen recovered strongly from P8 on the grid to finish second, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar completed the podium. Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Kimi Antonelli, who recovered from a Q1 crash and a P16 start to score points.
Russell Controls The Early Race
Russell made a strong start and quickly built a gap at the front, while Oscar Piastri initially held second. Verstappen and Hadjar then moved through the field, with Verstappen eventually getting past Piastri.
Russell’s lead stretched beyond 10 seconds before Alex Albon crashed into the barriers, bringing out the first Safety Car. The leaders pitted for fresh tyres, setting up a tense second half.
More Chaos After The Restart
The race was neutralised again after Franco Colapinto locked up and collided with Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly, with Lando Norris also caught up in the incident.
Piastri then threw away a podium finish with a lock-up at Turn 1, dropping him down the order. He eventually finished 14th and outside the points.
Verstappen Pushes Russell To The Line
After the second restart, Verstappen closed rapidly on Russell and kept the gap within a few tenths during the final laps.
Valtteri Bottas’ late crash brought out yellow flags on the final lap, complicating Russell’s run down the main straight. Verstappen pulled alongside, but Russell held on to take victory by just 0.196 seconds.
Six Drivers Retire
The race produced a long list of DNFs, with Albon, Colapinto, Gasly, Norris, Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll all failing to finish. Stroll and Alonso retired with separate mechanical problems.
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Final Take
Russell’s Baku victory came after a controlled opening stint and a dramatic final phase, with Verstappen pushing him all the way to the chequered flag. Hadjar’s third place gave Red Bull a double podium, while Antonelli’s recovery to fifth limited the damage from his qualifying crash.
