Russell edges out Verstappen to win in Baku, Antonelli settles for fifth

What the report says

George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku for Mercedes, holding off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 0.196 seconds after two safety-car periods turned the race into a late contest. Al Jazeera, citing Reuters, reported that the result was Russell’s eighth Formula One victory, his third of the season, and his first since the Austrian Grand Prix in June. The race took place on the Baku street circuit on 26 September 2026.

Russell’s win also narrowed the championship gap to Italian leader Kimi Antonelli, who finished fifth after starting 16th following a qualifying crash. According to the report, Antonelli’s points lead over Russell was reduced to 15 points, with Antonelli on 66 after 15 rounds. The Mercedes driver said he felt increasingly strong again after the summer break, though the article did not provide broader team strategy details.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth, ahead of Antonelli, while Lewis Hamilton placed sixth. French driver Isack Hadjar, returning after missing three races with a wrist injury, took third for Red Bull. The rest of the points places were filled by Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad in seventh, Haas pair Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman in eighth and ninth, and Williams’ Carlos Sainz in 10th. The result matters because it tightens the title fight while highlighting Mercedes’ ability to convert a strong race pace into a win.