Russell holds off Verstappen by 0.196s to win in Baku
George Russell beat Max Verstappen by 0.196 seconds to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Mercedes in Baku.
The victory on 26 September was Russell’s first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June, and it came after two late safety car periods bunched the field and set up a sprint to the flag, according to BBC. Verstappen finished second for Red Bull after starting eighth. Kimi Antonelli took fifth for Mercedes after starting 16th.
Russell controlled the race from the front. He had already claimed his fifth pole position of the 2026 season on Friday, setting a 1:42.526 in the final part of qualifying, Q3, where the top 10 fight for the fastest lap, Reuters reported. The FIA put his advantage at two tenths of a second over Verstappen.
That start position mattered in Baku. The Baku City Circuit is a street track with long straights and tight walls, where overtaking is risky and track position is precious. Russell kept the lead through the restarts. Verstappen pushed hard behind him. The gap at the line was less than two tenths.
Verstappen’s drive was a recovery. The four-time world champion lined up eighth but worked through the field to finish second. He now has 71 Grand Prix wins, third on Formula One’s all-time list, Reuters noted before the weekend.
Antonelli also fought back. The Italian teenager crashed out in the first part of qualifying, Q1, and started near the back. He climbed to fifth by the chequered flag. It capped a difficult weekend that had already included a hydraulic issue in first practice, when a fault in the fluid system that powers steering and gearshifts sidelined him while Russell led Verstappen in the opening session, Formula 1 reported.
The pace battle swung across the weekend. Russell set the early standard in practice. Verstappen then topped final practice with a 1:43.922 to deny Russell a clean sweep of the sessions, with Russell and Antonelli next, the FIA reported.
For fans, this means Baku delivered again. Last year Verstappen dominated here, taking pole position, leading every lap and setting the fastest lap — a clean sweep known as a Grand Slam. Russell finished second that day and Antonelli fourth. This time Russell turned pole into victory by the smallest of margins.
