Russell wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix by 0.196 seconds over Verstappen

George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit on 26 September 2026, holding off Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.196 seconds at the finish. Russell started from pole and led much of the race, while Verstappen climbed from eighth on the grid. Red Bull's Isack Hadjar finished third. The result cut Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli's championship lead to 66 points with eight Grands Prix remaining in the season.crash.net+1

Russell's advantage matters because it keeps his title hopes alive against Antonelli, who leads the championship. Before the race Antonelli held an 81-point lead; after scoring 25 points for the win in Baku, Russell cut that gap to 66. It was Russell's third victory of the 2026 season, after Australia and Austria in June, and his first podium in three of the four races since the summer break. The race also marked Hadjar's return after missing three races with a broken wrist.bluewin.ch

Two safety cars erased the lead

Russell controlled the opening phase and built a lead of more than 11 seconds after 30 of the 51 laps, according to blue News. Piastri moved from third to second at the start by passing Charles Leclerc, but lacked the pace to chase Russell. Verstappen, meanwhile, was working his way up from eighth after a qualifying session in which a cascade of problems stopped him lining up alongside Russell. By lap seven he had passed Hadjar into third.

The race turned on two safety cars in quick succession. On lap 30, Williams' Alex Albon crashed at Turn Five, triggering the first caution. Six laps later, at the restart, Verstappen passed Piastri into Turn One for second. Almost immediately, Franco Colapinto locked up and hit Pierre Gasly, who was knocked into Lando Norris, retiring both Alpines and the McLaren world champion. That second safety car put Verstappen on Russell's tail for an 11-lap chase to the flag.

Verstappen could not find a way past. He stayed about 0.5 seconds behind but never got close enough to attempt a move into Turn One, the only significant overtaking place on the tight street circuit. On the final lap, Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac at Turn 15; after backing off for the yellow flags, Russell lost his turbo and, with it, electrical boost. Verstappen closed on the run to the line, finishing 0.196 seconds behind — the closest green-flag finish since the 2002 United States Grand Prix.

Verstappen's fightback from eighth

Verstappen's recovery underlined how difficult passing is at Baku despite the long straights. The Red Bull had its engine replaced after qualifying, and blue News noted overtaking remained hard on the tight street circuit. Behind the lead pair, Hadjar drove to third on his return from a broken wrist. Antonelli, who hit the wall at Turn One in Friday's qualifying, started 16th and finished fifth, 0.3 seconds behind Leclerc, with Lewis Hamilton sixth and Arvid Lindblad seventh.

The result reshapes the championship standings. Antonelli started the weekend 81 points clear; Russell's 25 points for the win cut that advantage to 66 with eight Grands Prix remaining. Russell has now finished on the podium in three of the four races since the summer break, and said he has adapted to a new driving style: "I feel like I've gone from strength to strength. I feel more like myself again."

Championship picture after Baku

McLaren's race fell apart after a promising start. Piastri had moved into second but lost it to Verstappen at the first restart, then ran wide at Turn One on lap 40 and dropped out of the points. Norris retired in the first-corner pile-up and told BBC Radio 5 Live that Colapinto should receive a race ban for his driving. Colapinto also retired, along with Gasly and Norris, in that incident.

Russell said he owed the win to his team after a difficult spell: "It's amazing to be back on the top step of the podium. I do want to say a big thanks to my team because they've continued to believe in me through a tough moment." The victory was his first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June and his third of the 2026 campaign, achieved from pole at the Baku City Circuit.

The championship continues with eight Grands Prix still to run. Russell's 66-point deficit to Antonelli leaves the Italian well placed, but Baku showed the gap can move in a single race. Verstappen's second place confirmed Red Bull's pace on a weekend when Hadjar completed the podium. The next rounds will decide whether Russell's late charge can close further on Antonelli's lead.channelnewsasia.com