Race Report: Russell Caps Off Dominant Baku Weekend

• George Russell claimed victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, securing the eighth win of his Formula One career and his third victory of the 2026 season.

• Team-mate Kimi Antonelli recovered from P16 on the grid to finish P5, making impressive progress through the field after his Q1 exit in qualifying.

• George converted pole position into the race lead at the start and controlled proceedings throughout a race shaped by multiple Safety Car periods.

• The opening stages saw the field neutralised following an incident with Alex Albon at Turn 1, with subsequent Safety Car interventions creating several race restarts and strategic decision points.

• George managed each restart effectively, maintaining track position and pace at the front to build the platform for victory.

• Kimi capitalised on the interruptions and alternative strategies to move through the field, combining strong race pace with decisive overtaking to secure a top five finish.

• George Russell took the chequered flag ahead of Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, while Kimi Antonelli recovered to P5.

Kimi Antonelli

Today was about damage limitation. I took no unnecessary risks at all and focused on maximising the points scored for the team. It was difficult to make progress at times because we were in an overtaking train, but I focused on staying out of trouble and taking the opportunities when they came.

It was one of those weekends where everything doesn't quite go your way. The pace wasn't quite there for me today, but given where we started, I have to be happy with P5. I just tried to race the race in front of me, stay patient and bring the car home. We were able to benefit from some of the opportunities that came our way and score as many points as possible.

Luckily, we have another race coming up very soon, so I'm fully focused on that and really looking forward to it.

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

Congratulations to George and the team on a fantastic victory. He has been quick throughout the weekend and converted a brilliant pole position into an assured race win today. The Safety Cars kept things interesting and there was pressure at each restart, but George managed the race superbly and delivered when it mattered most.

Kimi also did an excellent job to recover from P16 on the grid to finish fifth. After yesterday's disappointment, he stayed focused and made the most of the opportunities that came his way. His pace was strong throughout the race and he worked his way through the field with several decisive overtakes.

The Safety Cars meant there was little opportunity to relax at any stage of the race, particularly for George at the front, but both drivers handled the challenges well and extracted the maximum from the opportunities available to them.

We've had a competitive car from the first laps in Baku and it's pleasing to have converted that pace into a strong result. George was in control throughout the race, while Kimi's recovery drive demonstrated both the pace of the car and his determination after a difficult qualifying session. We leave Azerbaijan with good momentum and plenty of positives to take into the next event.