George Russell managed to fend off a late charge from Max Verstappen to clinch a nail‑biting victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, winning by the slimmest margin of just 0.1 seconds. The Mercedes driver had seemed destined for a comfortable win after building an 11‑second advantage, but two safety‑car periods erased his lead and forced him into a tense battle during the final laps. The lights‑to‑flag win narrowed Russell's gap to his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who leads the drivers' championship, to 66 points.
Antonelli had rallied from a 16th‑place start—after a qualifying crash—to finish fifth, keeping his title hopes alive. Isack Hadjar completed Red Bull's first double‑podium since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, taking third place after returning from a wrist injury that forced him to miss three races.
Charles Leclerc recovered from an early‑race second‑place position to finish fourth for Ferrari, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton could only manage sixth after a pace‑deficient run that saw him finish where he started. The race was also marked by a dramatic multi‑car incident. Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly were taken out when Alpine’s Franco Colapinto lost control at the restart following the first safety‑car period, which itself had been triggered by a crash from Williams driver Alex Albon. Colapinto later apologised, calling his mistake "a big error," while an irritated Norris demanded that the FIA impose stricter penalties for such reckless moves, suggesting that some drivers "shouldn't be in Formula 1." With this result, Russell emerges as the only realistic challenger to Antonelli for the championship crown.
Hamilton, now third in the standings, trails by 103 points, and Norris, sitting fourth, is 116 points adrift with eight races remaining. Mercedes also edged closer to securing its first constructors' title since 2021, extending its lead over Ferrari to 160 points. The chaos opened up points‑scoring chances for several midfield competitors.
Arvid Lindblad claimed seventh after passing Haas driver Esteban Ocon on the final lap, and Oliver Bearman finished just behind to give Haas a double‑points haul. Carlos Sainz secured the final point for Williams, overcoming a five‑place grid penalty and an early pit‑stop delay that had hampered most of the field. Aston Martin endured a bleak weekend, with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll retiring due to technical failures. The race order, as recorded, 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, taking pole by nearly a full second on Friday, and he translated that speed into a strong start, pulling clear while teammate Oscar Piastri slipped past Leclerc.
Verstappen, starting eighth, surged 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 safety‑car period the field pitted, and the race resumed on lap 36. Russell managed the rolling restart expertly, yet Verstappen overtook Piastri and began closing the gap.
A further incident unfolded when Colapinto locked his brakes, slid into Gasly, and forced Norris into the path of the Alpine driver, eliminating three cars at once. With 13 laps remaining, Russell faced a fast‑closing Verstappen. He kept his composure, defending the lead through a second restart, but the Dutchman stayed within striking distance.
On the final lap, a crash involving Valtteri Bottas’s Cadillac triggered yellow flags, forcing Russell to lift off the throttle and lose turbo boost. This loss of power gave Verstappen a fleeting opportunity to overtake, and he narrowed the margin to just 0.196 seconds at the finish line.
The 0.1‑second gap is the closest finish in an F1 race since Rubens Barrichello beat Michael Schumacher by 0.011 seconds at the 2022 United States Grand Prix, a testament to how evenly matched the two drivers were on the Baku street circuit. After the race, Russell reflected on the event: "The first half was pretty straightforward – I built a solid 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’s crash, I lifted off the power and lost turbo, so I had no power left and Max almost caught me at the line. It would have been a real shame, but overall it was an incredible weekend." Russell’s triumph marked a pivotal moment in his season, delivering his most complete performance since the opening round in Australia.
Although he still faces a massive challenge to catch Antonelli—especially with an upcoming grid penalty for a new engine—the win provides a significant confidence boost after a season where his teammate often outperformed him. The victory also equalised Russell’s career win tally with Antonelli at eight, after the Italian had previously moved ahead in Madrid. "It’s amazing to be back on the top step of the podium," Russell said.
"I want to thank the team for believing in me during the tough times and helping me get through. I’m really proud of this weekend." Antonelli, meanwhile, struggled on Baku’s unforgiving streets after clipping a barrier during Friday qualifying. The 20‑year‑old had previously turned a 19th‑place start into a win at Monza earlier in the month, but this weekend proved less forgiving.
He dropped from 16th to 15th on the opening lap and needed 17 laps to climb back into the top ten. By the time the first safety car was deployed, he was ninth, three seconds behind Gasly. Subsequent incidents—Norris locking up, Albon’s crash, and Gasly’s elimination—allowed Antonelli to gain positions without much effort.
Later, a mistake by Piastri, who locked up and ran off track, promoted Antonelli further. He eventually passed a struggling Hamilton on lap 42 and finished just under four tenths behind Leclerc for fourth place. "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." Despite the setbacks, Antonelli remains the favorite for the title and looks forward to the next race, the rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix, which will be held in Malaysia due to the ongoing Middle‑East conflict.
"It’s exciting," he added. "George had an incredible weekend, he drove with great confidence. This weekend was my worst of the year in terms of performance.
I wasn’t there, I wasn’t taking the same risks after qualifying. It was more about damage‑control than full‑attack." Formula 1 will head to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit. Fans can watch live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW, offering a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime option.