Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.Join todayAlready a member? Log inKieran JacksonSaturday 26 September 2026 14:30 BSTGeorge Russell claimed victory in Baku (Getty)British Mercedes driver George Russell secured victory at the Baku City Circuit, holding off a late charge from Max Verstappen by just 0.1 seconds after taking pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.Championship leader Kimi Antonelli produced an impressive recovery drive to finish fifth after a shock Q1 qualifying crash had initially left him 16th on the grid.Max Verstappen finished second after race stewards dropped an investigation into an alleged failure to follow race director instructions during the closing laps.McLaren endured a nightmare moment when Oscar Piastri locked up at Turn 1 while under pressure from Isack Hadjar, dropping the Australian all the way down to 14th place.Isack Hadjar claimed third place to round out the podium positions, finishing ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in fourth and Antonelli in fifth.In fullF1 Azerbaijan GP LIVE: George Russell wins after Norris and Albon crash out in BakuMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in