George Russell claimed his third Grand Prix victory of 2026 in Azerbaijan, holding off Max Verstappen to complete a strong weekend for the British Mercedes driver.
Russell had led Thursday practice and taken pole before controlling much of Saturday's race. His advantage became less secure in the closing stages, when Verstappen mounted a sustained challenge.
An additional scare came near the finish. Russell reported losing turbo response after lifting for yellow flags caused by Valtteri Bottas' crash, leaving him vulnerable on the run to the line. He nevertheless retained the win.
The result was Russell's first Grand Prix success since Austria in June and reduced Kimi Antonelli's championship lead from 81 points to 66. Antonelli recovered from 16th to fifth after a qualifying accident. For Russell, Baku combined a return to race-winning pace with an important gain on his team-mate in the title standings.