George Russell converted pole position into a dramatic victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, holding off a charging Max Verstappen by just 0.196 seconds in a thrilling finish around the Baku City Circuit.

Russell controlled the race from the start and looked set for a comfortable victory after building a lead of more than 10 seconds. But two Safety Car periods completely changed the picture and gave Verstappen a chance to fight for the win in the closing stages.

Oscar Piastri made a strong start from third, moving ahead of Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, while Verstappen began his charge from eighth. The Red Bull driver quickly gained positions and eventually moved into contention for the podium.

Russell’s advantage was wiped out when Alex Albon crashed into the barriers, bringing out the first Safety Car. The Mercedes driver handled the restart successfully, but the race was neutralised again after Franco Colapinto locked up and crashed into his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.

Norris was one of the biggest casualties of the incident. The McLaren driver had started fifth and was running inside the top group before being caught up in the crash, bringing his race to an early end.

With the field compressed again, Verstappen found himself in a position to attack Russell. The Red Bull driver had fought his way from eighth to second and closed rapidly during the final laps.

Russell remained composed under intense pressure. Verstappen came within striking distance on the final lap, but Russell held the Mercedes ahead all the way to the chequered flag to claim his third victory of the 2026 season.

Verstappen finished second, just 0.196 seconds behind, while Isack Hadjar completed a remarkable weekend with third place. The result gave Red Bull a double podium and marked an impressive return for Hadjar after missing the previous three races with a wrist injury.

Charles Leclerc finished fourth for Ferrari, with Kimi Antonelli completing the top five after a remarkable recovery from 16th on the grid.

Antonelli’s race was particularly important for the championship. After crashing out in Q1 on Friday, the Mercedes driver had to fight through the field and even dropped to 17th early in the race. He eventually recovered into the points and moved all the way to fifth, limiting the damage to his championship lead.

Lewis Hamilton finished sixth for Ferrari, followed by Arvid Lindblad and Esteban Ocon. Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz completed the top ten, with Haas scoring points after a difficult run of races.

Oscar Piastri, who had spent much of the race fighting near the front, slipped down the order after a lock up and eventually finished 14th.

The chaotic race saw six drivers fail to finish, including Norris, Gasly, Colapinto and Alex Albon. Valtteri Bottas also crashed into the barriers on the final lap.

Russell’s victory cuts Antonelli’s championship advantage from 81 points to 66, giving Mercedes another major storyline heading into the final stages of the season.

After starting the weekend with two practice victories and a dominant pole position, Russell completed the job in dramatic fashion. Verstappen came closer than anyone expected in the final laps, but Russell held his nerve to take Mercedes’ latest victory in one of the most chaotic races of the season.