Russell wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Antonelli finishes fifth

George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 26 September 2026, keeping Max Verstappen behind him through a close finish in Baku to strengthen his Formula One title challenge.

The Mercedes driver started from pole position and finished about a tenth of a second ahead of Verstappen, according to the Guardian’s race report. Al Jazeera also reported Russell’s victory and championship leader Kimi Antonelli’s fifth-place finish.

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar completed the podium. Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari, ahead of Antonelli, with Lewis Hamilton sixth.

Russell had to defend his lead through two safety-car restarts. An accident involving Alex Albon brought the field back together after Russell had built a substantial advantage. A later collision involving the Alpine cars ended Lando Norris’s race and triggered another interruption.

Verstappen, who started eighth, moved into second after racing resumed and remained close to Russell in the final laps. He could not complete a pass before the finish.

Antonelli recovered from 16th on the grid to limit the damage to his championship position. The Guardian reported that Russell’s third victory of the season reduced the gap between the Mercedes teammates to 66 points, with eight race meetings remaining.