Russell edges out Verstappen to win in Baku, Antonelli settles for fifth

Mercedes' British driver George Russell held off Max Verstappen to secure an impressive victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the challenging Baku City Circuit. The 28-year-old Briton finished just 0.196 seconds ahead of the four-time champion, while Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Isaac Hadjar, finished third in his return to racing after a broken wrist.

This marked Russell's first win at Baku and his eighth career victory, narrowing the gap in the drivers' championship to 66 points. Teammate Kimi Antonelli finished fifth, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari claimed second place after starting from 16th on the grid. Lewis Hamilton secured sixth place in the second Ferrari. Russell attributed his win to his composed driving style during the race, acknowledging that the first half went smoothly but became more challenging after a safety car deployment.

Verstappen, on the other hand, remained philosophical about his second place, stating that George lost some boost on the final lap, which allowed him to catch up. Isaac Hadjar praised the timing of his return to racing, describing it as a strong moment to achieve his first podium finish on pure pace.