George Russell secured victory at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, fending off Max Verstappen by a narrow margin at the Baku City Circuit. Russell’s win marks his third of the current season and the eighth of his Formula 1 career.
Verstappen, starting from eighth position on the grid following qualifying issues, mounted a significant recovery drive to finish second, just 0.196 seconds behind Russell. This result means the four-time world champion remains without a victory in the 2026 season after 15 rounds.
The Red Bull driver encountered engine problems during qualifying, which affected his battery charging and tyre temperature, compromising his final Q3 attempt. Despite these setbacks, Verstappen demonstrated strong race pace, particularly on the soft tyres after the safety car periods.
Isack Hadjar completed the podium in third place, marking a successful return from a wrist injury that had sidelined him for three previous Grands Prix. Hadjar’s third-place finish was confirmed after a post-race stewards’ investigation into a practice start infringement, for which he received a warning.
Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies defended the team’s strategy during the race, which saw Hadjar running behind Verstappen despite having a tyre advantage at one stage. Mekies stated the decision was made to optimise the team’s chances against Oscar Piastri and Russell.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fifth after starting 16th due to a qualifying accident. His lead over teammate Russell in the Drivers’ Championship has been reduced from 81 points to 66 points. Antonelli currently leads the standings with 302 points, with Russell on 236 points.
The race featured two safety car periods, the second of which was triggered by a multi-car collision involving Alpine drivers Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Colapinto locked up at Turn 1 during a safety car restart, eliminating all three drivers.
Norris subsequently called for a one-race ban for Colapinto, stating that such driving ‘shouldn’t be in Formula 1’. Colapinto received a 10-second time penalty, which converts to a five-place grid drop for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix.
Alpine later issued a statement condemning the online hate and abuse directed at their driver and other members of the Formula 1 community following the incident.
The full results for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix are as follows:
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
8. Esteban Ocon (Haas)
9. Oliver Bearman (Haas)
10. Carlos Sainz (Williams)
