George Russell secured a brilliant victory at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, with Mercedes managing to hold off a fierce charge from Red Bull's Max Verstappen across 51 demanding laps. The thrilling race was heavily punctuated by two safety car periods and numerous high-profile incidents.
Max Verstappen finished a close second, crossing the line just 0.196 seconds behind the race winner. Isack Hadjar rounded out the podium in third place for Red Bull, capping off a strong points haul for the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
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SubscribeFerrari's Charles Leclerc claimed fourth position, while Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli delivered an impressive performance to finish fifth. Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in sixth for Ferrari, continuing a competitive midfield battle throughout the afternoon.
The eventful race in Baku also saw several dramatic retirements and multi-car collisions, including incidents involving Lando Norris, Franco Colapinto, and Valtteri Bottas. The chaotic turn of events significantly shook up the championship standings as teams head into the remainder of the season.
Full Baku Race Results and Standings
The 51-lap encounter at the Baku City Circuit delivered intense drama from lights out to the checkered flag, testing the reliability and strategy of every constructor on the grid.
Behind the top finishers, Arvid Lindblad took seventh for Racing Bulls, followed by the Haas duo of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman in eighth and ninth respectively, with Carlos Sainz rounding out the top ten for Williams.
Further down the order, Nico Hulkenberg finished eleventh for Audi ahead of Liam Lawson and Oscar Piastri, while Sergio Perez and Gabriel Bortoleto completed the classified finishers.
Valtteri Bottas was classified sixteenth after a late accident, while drivers such as Franco Colapinto, Pierre Gasly, Lando Norris, Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll failed to finish a tumultuous grand prix.