The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held on the spectacular Baku street circuit, once again delivered a race packed with overtaking, crashes and position changes. George Russell secured victory for Mercedes after a fiercely contested race, whilst Max Verstappen finished second and Isack Hadjar completed the podium. George Russell started the Grand Prix from pole position and managed to hold the lead for much of the race. The British driver capitalised on the strong pace of his Mercedes to build up a small lead over his rivals, although the deployment of the safety car levelled the playing field once again.
In the final laps, Max Verstappen managed to close in dangerously on the Mercedes. The Red Bull driver had staged a remarkable comeback from eighth place and was even in contention for victory. However, Russell managed to hold him off in the final kilometres and crossed the finish line in first place, just 0.196 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Accidents are back in the spotlight
As is often the case on the streets of Baku, accidents played a significant role during the race. Alexander Albon lost control of his Williams and crashed into the barriers, triggering one of the race’s first yellow flag periods and forcing the Safety Car onto the track. The incident narrowed the gaps between the drivers and allowed several of those further back to close the gap on the leading group once again.
One of the most challenging moments of the Grand Prix then unfolded. Franco Colapinto lost control at the first corner and ended up involved in a crash alongside Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris. All three drivers were forced to retire from the race, prompting another safety car deployment. The situation once again shook up the race order and allowed some drivers to take the opportunity to make their pit stops without losing too much time.
The incidents once again highlighted the challenges of the Baku circuit, where the long straights allow drivers to battle for position, but the narrow urban sections leave very little room for error. Each crash forced the other drivers to remain particularly alert during the final laps.
Antonelli fights back and retains the lead
Kimi Antonelli was also one of the standout performers of the weekend. The Italian driver had to start from 16th on the grid following a difficult qualifying session on Saturday. Despite starting from a low position, he managed to make up ground during the race thanks to his pace and a strategy that allowed him to capitalise on the various situations that arose on the track.
Antonelli moved up the field lap after lap and managed to break into the top five by the end of the race. The Mercedes driver eventually finished in fifth place, securing vital championship points after a Grand Prix that had got off to a very difficult start.
With this result, Antonelli managed to retain the lead in the World Championship. Furthermore, the victory by his team-mate George Russell meant Mercedes achieved a very positive result for the team, whilst the Briton closed the gap slightly on the Italian in the championship standings.
