Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Russell wins for Mercedes

Race report · Compiled from live Jolpica F1 + TheSportsDB + OpenF1 feeds at the time of publication.

FORMULA 1 2026 · Round 15

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan · 2026-09-26

Podium

🥈

Max Verstappen

Red Bull

+0.196

#3

🥇

George Russell

Mercedes

1:38:02.143

#63

🥉

Isack Hadjar

Red Bull

+10.704

#6

George Russell claimed victory for Mercedes at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on 26 September 2026, holding off a late challenge from Max Verstappen to take the chequered flag at the Baku City Circuit in a chaotic encounter. Russell completed the race distance in one hour, 38 minutes and 2.143 seconds, with Verstappen crossing the line just 0.196 seconds behind in second place. Isack Hadjar completed the podium for Red Bull, finishing 10.704 seconds adrift of the race winner, while Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari.

Russell, who started from pole position, also recorded the fastest lap of the race, underlining the pace of the Mercedes throughout the afternoon in Baku. The most eye-catching drive in terms of grid positions gained came from Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who advanced from 16th on the grid to finish fifth — a recovery of eleven places that will have delighted the Mercedes camp. Verstappen’s charge was similarly impressive, the Dutchman having started from eighth before working his way through the field to apply considerable pressure to Russell in the closing stages, ultimately falling just short by less than two tenths of a second. Arvid Lindblad also produced a notable performance, climbing from 15th on the grid to seventh at the flag for the RB F1 Team.

George Russell’s victory was the standout result for British motorsport on the day. The Mercedes driver converted pole position into a race win in composed fashion, resisting Verstappen’s persistent late pressure to secure his third victory of the 2026 season. Fellow Britons Lewis Hamilton, Arvid Lindblad and Oliver Bearman also featured in the points, finishing sixth, seventh and ninth respectively, ensuring a strong afternoon for British representation across the field.

In the Drivers’ Championship, Russell’s victory closes the gap to championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli, though the young Italian retains a commanding advantage of 66 points over his Mercedes team-mate following this round, with Antonelli on 302 points to Russell’s 236. Lewis Hamilton remains third on 199 points, keeping Ferrari’s hopes alive, while Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc occupy fourth and fifth respectively. In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes extend their lead at the summit with 538 points, a margin of 160 over Ferrari in second on 378. McLaren remain third on 306 points, with Red Bull closing to 263 following a productive afternoon that yielded both second and third place finishes.

Watch race highlights and analysis

Race classification — top 10

Drivers’ championship after Round 15

Constructors’ championship after Round 15

Race data via Jolpica F1 API, TheSportsDB (race media), OpenF1 (driver headshots + team colours). Classification, timings, championship standings and event metadata sourced live at the time of publication.