Russell fends off Verstappen in chaotic Baku race
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 27, 2026
Russell dominates
George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku for Mercedes after controlling the race from pole position and leading every lap. He turned the front spot into a lights-to-flag victory, then fended off Max Verstappen in the closing stages to secure the win. It was Russell’s third victory of the 2026 season and his first since Austria in June. He also completed his first career grand slam, with the fastest lap adding to a dominant weekend. Russell had already set the tone in qualifying by taking pole by more than 0.8 seconds, the biggest margin of the season.
Safety cars
The race turned chaotic with two Safety Car periods and a late yellow flag that repeatedly reset the battle. Alex Albon’s crash brought out one of the safety cars, and the later incident involving Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris triggered another stoppage. Those interruptions tightened the field and opened the door for a tense finish, but Russell held the lead when the race went back to green. Verstappen had started eighth after a qualifying power-unit issue and finished second, yet Russell held him off in the late battle. The late yellow added to the chaotic finish, but Russell held off Verstappen to secure the win.
Midfield results
Isack Hadjar claimed third after returning from a wrist injury and qualifying fourth, while Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Kimi Antonelli took fifth after starting 16th on the grid. Antonelli said the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was his worst weekend of the season, and Russell’s victory trimmed Antonelli’s championship lead from 81 points to 66. The rest of the afternoon brought more frustration for McLaren. Oscar Piastri dropped out of the points after a Turn 1 lock-up, and Norris retired after contact at the restart. That left McLaren without a score in Baku, a costly result on a day when the front-runners had to survive incidents, restarts and changing track conditions just to reach the finish.
