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Laman Ismayilova

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George Russell secured a dramatic victory at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, September 26, holding off Max Verstappen to win by just 0.196 seconds after leading every lap from pole position.

The 10th Formula 1 race at the Baku City Circuit featured two Safety Car periods, several incidents and a tense finish. Russell completed the 51-lap, 306.049-kilometre race in 1:38:02.143 to claim his third victory of the 2026 season and the eighth win of his Formula 1 career.

George Russell Seizes Control From Pole

Russell started from pole after a commanding qualifying performance, finishing 0.837 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.

The Mercedes driver made a clean start and quickly established himself at the front. Oscar Piastri initially followed in second, while the drivers behind battled for position through the opening stages.

Russell gradually extended his advantage and was more than 10 seconds clear when the first Safety Car was deployed. He also had to manage tyre-pressure concerns and briefly brushed the wall at Turn 15, but remained in control.

Behind the leader, Isack Hadjar moved ahead of Leclerc as the battle for the podium continued.

Russell had built a comfortable cushion, but the two Safety Car periods later in the race brought the field back together.

Safety Cars change race dynamics

The first Safety Car came out on Lap 31 after Alexander Albon locked up at Turn 6 and hit the barriers. Russell's lead was cut, but he retained first place after the restart.

A second Safety Car followed after Franco Colapinto locked up approaching Turn 1 and collided with Pierre Gasly, with Lando Norris also caught up in the incident. Russell again held the lead after the restart.

Kimi Antonelli climbed from 16th to fifth, while Oscar Piastri dropped down the order after spinning at Turn 1 and eventually finished 14th.

With the Safety Cars gone, Russell faced a close fight in the final laps.

Victory decided in final seconds

The closing laps brought one final challenge for Russell. A late yellow flag followed an incident involving Valtteri Bottas at Turn 15, forcing Russell to lift off the throttle. When he accelerated again, he briefly lost turbo power, allowing Verstappen to close rapidly.

The Red Bull driver pushed Russell in the final laps, but the Mercedes driver held on to cross the finish line in 1:38:02.143, just 0.196 seconds ahead.

Hadjar finished third, 10.704 seconds behind Russell, followed by Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli.

Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, ahead of Arvid Lindblad, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz. Nico Hulkenberg was 11th, followed by Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez. Valtteri Bottas was 16th in the classification after retiring late in the race.

Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris, Alexander Albon, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll failed to finish.

The victory was Russell's third of the season and eighth of his career. He led all 51 laps from pole to flag, winning by just 0.196 seconds.

Podium ceremony caps Baku race

The race was followed by the traditional podium ceremony, where Russell, Verstappen and Hadjar received their trophies after finishing first, second and third respectively.

Russell celebrated his first Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory, while Verstappen collected his second-place trophy after finishing just 0.196 seconds behind the winner. Hadjar completed the podium in third place, 10.704 seconds behind Russell.