BAKU, Azerbaijan — George Russell resisted Max Verstappen by just 0.1 seconds to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and claim his third victory of the season in a race marked by six retirements and two Safety Car periods.
Russell held off Verstappen’s pressure all the way to the finish line, while Isack Hadjar completed the podium and secured a Red Bull double. The Mercedes driver also claimed the eighth victory of his Formula 1 career.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton, Arvid Lindblad, Esteban Ocon, Ollie Bearman and Carlos Sainz.
Russell secured pole position with a 0.837-second advantage over Leclerc. In contrast, Antonelli hit the wall at Turn 1 during Q1 and was forced to start from P16.
The grid also underwent several changes because of penalties. Sainz dropped from P9 to P14, while Sergio Perez and the Aston Martin drivers were relegated because of different infringements.
Russell maintained the lead at the start, followed by Piastri, Hadjar and Verstappen. The Red Bulls quickly moved forward and overtook Leclerc to move into podium positions.
As Russell extended his advantage, Verstappen began closing in on Piastri, who was reporting problems with his rear tires. Antonelli also began his recovery drive, moving into the points-paying positions.
Lance Stroll retired on Lap 9 because of a water-pressure problem. Shortly afterward, Norris lost positions after locking up on the main straight, while Albon ended up in the barriers at Turn 6.
The Safety Car allowed the leaders to make their pit stops. Red Bull maintained the order between its drivers, but the race became chaotic again when Colapinto hit Gasly at Turn 1 and the Alpine then collided with Norris. All three drivers were forced out of the race, bringing out a second Safety Car period.
After the restart, Verstappen overtook Piastri for second place. The Australian lost control at the first corner and fell all the way to P15, throwing away his podium chances.
Antonelli continued his recovery and overtook Hamilton to move into fifth. At the front, Verstappen remained just a few tenths behind Russell during the closing laps.
Verstappen eventually pulled alongside Russell on the main straight, but could not complete the pass. The British driver crossed the finish line with just 0.1 seconds in hand to secure his third win of the 2026 season.
Hadjar finished third, followed by Leclerc, Antonelli and Hamilton. Lindblad was seventh, Ocon eighth, Bearman ninth and Sainz tenth.
Formula 1 will now continue its triple-header with the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, scheduled for October 2–4 at the Sepang International Circuit. The event retains its official Bahrain Grand Prix designation despite being held in Malaysia due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Read the original article in Spanish here.
Original article
Comments