George Russell managed to keep Max Verstappen at bay in a nail‑biting conclusion to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, clinching the win by a razor‑thin margin of just 0.1 seconds. The Mercedes driver had seemed destined for a comfortable triumph after building an 11‑second advantage, but two safety‑car periods erased his lead and forced him into a desperate battle with the Red Bull ace in the final laps.
The lights‑to‑flag victory narrowed Russell's gap to his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who leads the drivers' championship, to 66 points. Antonelli had recovered impressively from a qualifying crash that left him starting sixteenth, eventually finishing fifth after a strong drive through the Baku street circuit.
Isack Hadjar completed Red Bull's first double‑podium since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix by taking third place. The French rookie returned to form after missing three rounds due to a wrist injury, showcasing the speed that made him a standout talent in his debut season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended up fourth after slipping from second early on, while his team‑mate Lewis Hamilton could only manage sixth, unable to find the pace needed to challenge the front‑runners.
Both drivers expressed frustration at the pace of their car on the tight Baku layout. A dramatic incident unfolded when Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly were taken out after Alpine’s Franco Colapinto lost control on the restart following the first safety‑car period, which itself had been triggered by a crash from Williams driver Alex Albon. Colapinto later apologized, calling his mistake "a big error," while an irate Norris demanded that the FIA impose stricter penalties for reckless driving, suggesting that some drivers "shouldn't be in Formula 1." The result solidifies Russell as the only realistic challenger to Antonelli for the championship, with third‑placed Hamilton now 103 points behind and fourth‑placed Norris 116 points adrift, with eight races still to run.
Mercedes also edged closer to the Constructors' title, extending their lead over Ferrari to 160 points. The multi‑car collision opened the door for unexpected point‑scorers. Arvid Lindblad surged into seventh by passing Haas driver Esteban Ocon on the final lap, while teammate Oliver Bearman secured eighth, giving Haas a valuable double‑points haul. Carlos Sainz salvaged a point for Williams, overcoming a five‑place grid penalty and a time‑loss pit stop before the first safety car.
Aston Martin endured a bleak weekend as both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll retired with technical failures, leaving the team without any points. The official finishing order was: 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) Russell had been dominant in qualifying, securing pole by nearly a full second on Friday, and he turned that advantage into a strong start, pulling clear of the pack while teammate Oscar Piastri slipped past Leclerc. Verstappen, starting eighth, vaulted to third within seven laps, but Piastri’s defensive driving allowed Russell to stretch his lead to 11 seconds before Albon’s crash brought out the first safety car on lap 31.
During the ensuing pit stop window, the field shuffled, and a brief restart on lap 36 saw Russell maintain his position. However, Verstappen overtook Piastri, and chaos erupted behind as Colapinto locked his brakes, sliding into Gasly, who was then forced into Norris’s path.
The incident left Russell with a fast‑moving Verstappen on his tail for the remaining 13 laps. A well‑executed rolling restart kept Russell ahead, but the Red Bull driver stayed within striking distance, setting up a tense finale.
On the final lap, a yellow flag for Valtteri Bottas’s crashed Cadillac forced Russell to lift off the throttle, and a turbo failure left him without full power. Verstappen seized the opportunity, narrowing the gap to just 0.196 seconds at the finish line. The margin of 0.1 seconds was the closest race finish since Rubens Barrichello edged Michael Schumacher by 0.011 seconds at the 2022 United States Grand Prix, highlighting the extraordinary competitiveness of the Baku event. After the race, Russell reflected: "The first half felt almost routine, building the gap.
The safety‑car restart with Max behind made me realise it wouldn't be easy, and he drove incredibly hard at the end. When the yellow flag came out for Bottas, I lifted off and lost turbo pressure, leaving me powerless as Max closed in.
It would have been a real shame, but overall it was an incredible weekend." The win marked Russell's most complete weekend since his debut victory in Australia, boosting his confidence after a season where he has often been outshone by Antonelli. Despite the triumph, Russell faces a significant challenge: he will incur a grid penalty for a new engine later in the season, and Antonelli remains the clear favorite for the title. The result also leveled Russell and Antonelli on eight career wins each, after the Italian had previously overtaken him in Madrid.
Russell said, "It’s amazing to be back on the top step of the podium. I want to thank the team for believing in me through the tough moments and helping me get through.
I'm really proud of this weekend." Antonelli, meanwhile, admitted his Baku performance was disappointing. After a promising start to the season—recovering from 19th on the grid to win at Monza—he clipped a barrier in qualifying and struggled to find rhythm. He fell from 16th to 17th on the opening lap, eventually climbing back into the top ten after 17 laps.
A series of fortunate events—Norris locking up, Albon’s crash, and Gasly’s retirement—allowed him to finish fifth, just 0.4 seconds behind Leclerc. "Today I’m happy with P5," Antonelli told Sky Sports F1. "It wasn’t an easy race, and I was always a step behind, especially after missing half of FP2." Looking ahead, Antonelli expressed optimism about the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, which will be staged in Malaysia due to the ongoing Middle‑East conflict.
"It’s exciting. George had an incredible weekend; he drove with great confidence. This weekend was my worst of the year in terms of performance.
I was in damage‑save mode rather than full‑attack," he said. Formula 1 will return to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit. Fans can watch the live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time.