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2026 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Russell Beats Verstappen by 0.196 Seconds
George Russell converted pole into a Baku win by 0.196 seconds over Max Verstappen after two Safety Car periods, while Kimi Antonelli recovered from 16th to fifth and kept a 66-point championship lead.
George Russell won the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, holding off Max Verstappen by just 0.196 seconds after a race reshaped by two Safety Car periods. Russell started from pole and took his third victory of the season, while Verstappen climbed from eighth on the grid to finish second.
The result mattered beyond the finish-line margin. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli recovered from 16th after his qualifying crash to finish fifth, limiting Russell’s gain and leaving Baku with a 66-point lead. Isack Hadjar completed the podium for Red Bull.
Two Safety Cars turned a comfortable lead into a sprint to the line
Russell controlled the opening half from pole and built a sizeable advantage, but Alex Albon’s crash triggered the first Safety Car and compressed the field. Verstappen then moved into second at the restart, putting Red Bull directly behind the Mercedes.
A second Safety Car followed after Franco Colapinto locked up at Turn 1 and hit Pierre Gasly, who then collected Lando Norris. On the final run Russell had Verstappen within a few tenths, and the official classification put the winning margin at 0.196 seconds.
Antonelli’s recovery kept the title swing smaller than qualifying suggested
Antonelli started only 16th after crashing in qualifying, creating an opening for Russell to make a large championship gain. The Italian instead climbed to fifth, helped by incidents ahead and a late pass on Lewis Hamilton.
AP reported that Russell cut Antonelli’s pre-race 81-point advantage to 66. Russell therefore gained 15 points in Baku, but Antonelli still left the weekend with a substantial cushion rather than the collapse the starting grid had made possible.
Red Bull gained a double podium as McLaren’s race unraveled
Hadjar finished third behind Verstappen to give Red Bull two drivers on the podium. Charles Leclerc was fourth, Antonelli fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth in the official result.
McLaren went the other way: Norris retired in the multi-car crash after the restart, while Oscar Piastri dropped out of podium contention after locking up at Turn 1 and finished 14th. The next standings update will show whether Baku becomes a turning point or only a sharp single-weekend swing.
