George Russell held off Max Verstappen to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Baku. The Briton finished 0.196 seconds ahead. Isack Hajjar completed the podium for Red Bull, while several incidents disrupted the race in its second half. ( formula1.com )
Key takeaways
Starting from pole position, Russell held the lead for most of the 51 laps on the Baku street circuit. Verstappen finished second, less than two-tenths of a second behind, and Hajar took third place, 10.704 seconds behind the winner. This victory is Russell’s third in Grand Prix racing this season, excluding sprint races. ( formula1.com )
Frenchman Esteban Ocon finished eighth with Haas. Kimi Antonelli, championship leader according to the initial source, climbed from 16th on the grid to fifth at the finish. ( formula1.com )
A race finish under pres
Russell had built a lead early in the race, but two safety car interventions brought the field back together. The first followed Alexander Albon’s off-track excursion. At the restart, Franco Colapinto lost control of his car and involved his teammate Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris. All three drivers retired from the race.
After another safety car period, Oscar Piastri was still leading before making a mistake. Hadjar then moved into third place. Ahead of him, Verstappen put pres on Russell in the closing laps, but couldn’t overtake him. The official results confirm the gap of 0.196 seconds at the finish. ( formula1.com )
An important podium finish for Red Bull
The result gives Red Bull two drivers on the podium, with Verstappen and Hadjar. For the Frenchman, this third place is the main highlight of the race: he finishes in the top three in a lively event, where mistakes and safety car periods reshuffled the standings.
Russell, meanwhile, converted his pole position into a victory and gained points on Antonelli, who finished fifth in Baku. The championship continues at the Bahrain Grand Prix, scheduled for October 2-4, according to the official Formula 1 calendar. ( formula1.com )
Source: franceinfo – Formula 1
Original article: See the original source
