George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday in Baku. The FIA classified him first for Mercedes in 1:38:02.143, from pole, with Max Verstappen second by 0.196 seconds. Isack Hadjar was third, 10.704 seconds back, in his first race back from injury. That was a double podium for Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth, 14.136 seconds behind Russell. Kimi Antonelli was fifth, 14.512 seconds back, after starting 16th following a qualifying crash. Formula 1’s race report said Antonelli passed Lewis Hamilton on the main straight with eight laps left. Hamilton finished sixth, 22.382 seconds behind the winner. The FIA said two Safety Car periods closed the field. Russell’s win was his eighth in Formula 1 and his third of 2026. The official points for the top five were 25, 18, 15, 12 and 10.
The lead coming back to Austin
RaceFans’ championship table after the race has Antonelli on 302 points and Russell on 236, a lead of 66 points. RacingNews365 described the same cut, from 81 points before the weekend to 66 after it. An earlier Austin Sports News note had that 81-point margin after the Spanish Grand Prix, when the totals were 292 and 211.
The next Austin date on the calendar is the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, Oct. 23–25. This note does not include a start time. The FIA classification also lists retirements for Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Photo: Circuit of the Americas grandstand by Declan M Martin, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: FIA race report, Sept. 26, 2026; Formula 1 race report; RaceFans championship table; Antonelli’s lead after Spain.
