George Russell claimed his third victory of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, September 26. The Mercedes driver held off Max Verstappen by a narrow 0.196 seconds at the Baku City Circuit. This win marks Russell’s eighth career Formula 1 triumph.
The victory is Russell’s first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June, ending a seven-race winless streak. He converted pole position into a lights-to-flag win, despite late pressure from Verstappen. Russell’s performance was described as an ‘incredible’ weekend from start to finish.
This result significantly impacts the Drivers’ Championship standings. Russell reduced teammate Kimi Antonelli’s lead from 81 points to 66 points. Antonelli, who started 16th after a dramatic Q1 accident, recovered to finish fifth.
Russell expressed renewed confidence following the race. He stated he feels ‘more like myself again’ and can now consistently fight for victories. This resurgence follows a period of adapting his driving style to the Mercedes W17 car.
The race saw Russell manage proceedings from pole, building a substantial lead in the initial stages. However, two Safety Car periods and a late yellow flag compressed the field. Verstappen, who started eighth, mounted a strong challenge in the closing laps.
The first Safety Car was deployed on lap 29 after Alex Albon crashed. A second intervention followed due to a multi-car collision at Turn 1 involving Alpine teammates Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, which also took out Lando Norris.
Russell reported a momentary power loss due to a yellow flag for Valtteri Bottas’s late crash. This allowed Verstappen to close the gap dramatically on the final straight. Russell ultimately held on for the win.
Earlier in September, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had described the W17 and its power unit as ‘a little fragile.’ Reliability issues had affected both drivers this season. The Baku circuit’s 8.5 MJ recharge limit reportedly favoured the Mercedes power unit.
The final top ten finishers were George Russell, Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, Arvid Lindblad, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman, and Carlos Sainz. Hadjar secured his podium return after missing three races due to a wrist injury.
Post-race penalties included Gabriel Bortoleto receiving a 10-second time penalty for overtaking under yellow flags, dropping him to 15th. Franco Colapinto’s unserved 10-second penalty was converted to a five-place grid drop for the upcoming Sepang race.
