British driver George Russell won Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just 0.196 seconds, holding off Max Verstappen in a thrilling finish on the streets of Baku. Isack Hadjar completed the podium for Red Bull.
Russell (pictured top) had secured pole position for Mercedes and led throughout the race. He built a commanding advantage before two safety car periods brought the field back together, leaving Verstappen close behind for the final laps.
A yellow flag caused Russell to slow near the end, and the Red Bull driver almost caught him at the line. Russell also recorded the race’s fastest lap, completing lap 49 in 1 minute 44.916 seconds.
“I’m really proud to have had this weekend,” Russell said after claiming his third victory of the season and eighth of his Formula 1 career.
For readers less familiar with the 28-year-old, Russell grew up in King’s Lynn, England. He won the GP3 and Formula 2 championships in successive years, made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2019 and joined Mercedes as a full-time driver in 2022, the year of his first Grand Prix victory.
The Baku result moves Russell to 236 points in the drivers’ championship, 66 behind his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, who recovered from 16th on the grid to finish fifth. Mercedes leads the constructors’ championship with 538 points, 160 ahead of Ferrari, with eight rounds remaining.
Watch Saturday's Azerbaijan 2026 F1 race highlights online here.
