Russell Survives Turbo Scare to Win Baku by 0.196s as Antonelli's Lead Shrinks to 66 Points

George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, 26 September, but he had to survive a last-lap scare to do it. The Mercedes driver crossed the line just 0.196 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen after a race with two Safety Cars, six retirements and a nervy final lap. The result sets up next weekend's Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit (2–4 October) as a Mercedes team-mate battle with new momentum.

How the race unfolded

Russell started from pole and controlled the race from the front on the Baku City Circuit, the 6.003km street track. Sky Sports reported that he had built an 11-second lead by lap 31. Then Alex Albon crashed his Williams and brought out the first Safety Car.

The restart caused the biggest crash of the day. Franco Colapinto locked up at Turn 1 and hit his Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly, who was pushed into Lando Norris's McLaren. All three were out of the race, and a second Safety Car followed.

Russell nearly lost the win on the final lap. Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac and brought out yellow flags, so Russell lifted off the throttle. When he got back on the power, it wasn't there. "When I went back, I had no turbo, so then I had no power," Russell said after the race. Verstappen, who had started eighth, closed right up to him at the line. Sky Sports said it was one of the closest finishes in years.

Official top ten (Formula1.com)

1. George Russell (Mercedes), 1:38:02.143
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), +0.196s
3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull Racing), +10.704s
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), +14.136s
5. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), +14.512s
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), +22.382s
7. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls), +31.159s
8. Esteban Ocon (Haas), +31.189s
9. Oliver Bearman (Haas), +31.929s
10. Carlos Sainz (Williams), +32.416s

Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) got a 10-second penalty for overtaking under yellow flags, which dropped him to 15th. Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both retired with problems on their Aston Martins.

Russell's "Grand Slam"

Sky Sports described the win as Russell's first Grand Slam in F1, meaning he took pole, led every lap and set the fastest lap. "It's probably my first Grand Slam in Formula 1 and, for sure, the most dominant weekend I've had in my career," he said. He also said he isn't focused on the points gap: "I'm not chasing that. I'm chasing to win every race."

Antonelli limits the damage

The championship leader had a difficult weekend. After contact in qualifying, Kimi Antonelli started 16th and worked his way up to fifth. He was open about how he did it. "Today I was driving a bit like my grandmother," the Italian told Motorsport Week. He said floor damage from the contact made his Mercedes "very sketchy to drive", so he held back instead of attacking.

Updated standings (RacingNews365)

Drivers: Antonelli 302, Russell 236, Hamilton 199, Norris 186, Leclerc 179, Verstappen 163, Piastri 120, Hadjar 86, Lawson 59, Gasly 41.

Constructors: Mercedes 538, Ferrari 378, McLaren 306, Red Bull 263, Racing Bulls 83, Alpine 68.

Eight rounds are left, and Sepang is next. It's F1's first race in Malaysia since 2017.

Key takeaways

• Russell won by 0.196s after losing turbo power on the final lap. Verstappen came from eighth on the grid to finish second.
• Antonelli recovered from 16th to fifth. His lead over Russell is now 66 points with eight rounds left.
• Hadjar's third place gave Red Bull a double podium.
• McLaren scored no points: Norris was taken out and Piastri finished 13th.

FAQ

Who won the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix? George Russell (Mercedes). He finished 0.196s ahead of Max Verstappen, with Isack Hadjar third.

How big is Antonelli's championship lead now? 66 points. Antonelli has 302 and Russell has 236.

When is the next F1 race? The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, 2–4 October. The race starts at 3pm on Sunday, 4 October.

Sources: Formula1.com, Sky Sports, RacingNews365, Motorsport Week