George Russell converts pole into Azerbaijan GP win
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26 Sept 2026George Russell converts pole into Azerbaijan GP win
George Russell won the Azerbaijan GP at Baku City Circuit, leading every one of the 51 laps from pole for Mercedes. He held off Max Verstappen by 0.196 seconds and posted the fastest lap late on.
The Grand Prix unfolded in sunny, dry conditions and featured a Safety Car. For full weekend data and live timings, check the Azerbaijan GP page on Sofascore, and dive into the winner’s profile here: George Russell.
Pole, pace and poise: Russell’s Baku sweep
This was Round 15 of the Formula 1 2026 season, and Russell set the tone early. He topped Practice 1 and Practice 2, then secured pole in Qualifying. On Sunday he controlled the race from the front and never ceded the lead.
Russell’s race time was 1:38:02.143, and he led all 51 laps. He sealed the fastest lap on lap 49 with a 1:44.916. The Mercedes driver made two pit stops and executed clean out-laps to stay clear of the chasing pack. From pole to chequered flag, it was the tidy, methodical Baku performance teams prize.
Strategy and tyres: Medium to Soft pays off
Track temperature peaked at 40.1°C with air at 26.5°C, so tyre management mattered. Russell and Verstappen both ran a Medium-to-Soft plan, logging 31 laps on Mediums before switching to Softs for the final 20. That closing stint pace set up Russell’s fastest lap and kept Verstappen at bay.
Red Bull split their strategies across the garage, and it showed in the podium picture. Isack Hadjar flipped the script with Softs first for 31 laps, then Mediums to the flag. Over a 306.049 km race distance on the 6.003 km Baku layout, the cleaner Medium-to-Soft approach looked strongest in clean air. With two stops the norm at the front, execution on pit entry and traffic timing did the heavy lifting.
Red Bull double act and a late charge
From P8 on the grid, Max Verstappen carved through to second for Red Bull Racing. His personal fastest lap was a 1:44.993 on lap 48, underscoring a sharp final stint. The gap at the flag was tiny at +0.196, but just short of the win.
Isack Hadjar completed a strong day for Red Bull with third from P4 on the grid. His two-stop strategy and stable pace on Mediums late on secured the podium by a comfortable margin of +10.704. Red Bull’s mixed tyre sequencing got both cars into clear air at different stages, and it paid off on a track where DRS trains can form quickly.
Ferrari’s mixed day and Haas’s double score
Ferrari banked points but missed the podium. Charles Leclerc started P2 and came home fourth, setting a personal best of 1:45.784 on lap 44. Lewis Hamilton matched his grid slot to finish sixth, with a 1:46.170 fastest effort.
Mercedes had more to smile about beyond the win, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli surged from P16 to P5 with a strong closing run on Softs. That drive, only +0.376 behind Leclerc at the line, capped a high-yield Sunday for the Silver Arrows. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri started third but slipped to P14 after two stops.
Haas enjoyed a tidy points haul. Esteban Ocon finished eighth from P13 and was just 0.030 behind seventh. Oliver Bearman followed in ninth, 0.740 off Ocon. Consistent pace and mistake-free stops got both cars into the top ten.
Safety Car, retirements and the fine margins of Baku
The Safety Car made an appearance, tightening things at key moments. The midfield was decided by tenths, with that 0.030 gap between P7 and P8 a reminder of how punishing Baku’s long straights can be without perfect exits.
There were several retirements. Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly stopped after 36 laps, Alexander Albon after 31, Fernando Alonso on 23 and Lance Stroll after 9. Valtteri Bottas was classified as retired late on. Elsewhere, Racing Bulls logged points with Arvid Lindblad in seventh and Liam Lawson in twelfth, showing useful race-day form. Williams added a point with Carlos Sainz Jr. in tenth after three stops, finishing 0.487 behind Bearman. For complete lap charts, stints and times, visit the full event hub on Sofascore.
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26 Sept 2026
George Russell won the Azerbaijan GP at Baku City Circuit, leading every one of the 51 laps from pole for Mercedes. He held off Max Verstappen by 0.196 seconds and posted the fastest lap late on.
The Grand Prix unfolded in sunny, dry conditions and featured a Safety Car. For full weekend data and live timings, check the Azerbaijan GP page on Sofascore, and dive into the winner’s profile here: George Russell.
Pole, pace and poise: Russell’s Baku sweep
This was Round 15 of the Formula 1 2026 season, and Russell set the tone early. He topped Practice 1 and Practice 2, then secured pole in Qualifying. On Sunday he controlled the race from the front and never ceded the lead.
Russell’s race time was 1:38:02.143, and he led all 51 laps. He sealed the fastest lap on lap 49 with a 1:44.916. The Mercedes driver made two pit stops and executed clean out-laps to stay clear of the chasing pack. From pole to chequered flag, it was the tidy, methodical Baku performance teams prize.
Strategy and tyres: Medium to Soft pays off
Track temperature peaked at 40.1°C with air at 26.5°C, so tyre management mattered. Russell and Verstappen both ran a Medium-to-Soft plan, logging 31 laps on Mediums before switching to Softs for the final 20. That closing stint pace set up Russell’s fastest lap and kept Verstappen at bay.
Red Bull split their strategies across the garage, and it showed in the podium picture. Isack Hadjar flipped the script with Softs first for 31 laps, then Mediums to the flag. Over a 306.049 km race distance on the 6.003 km Baku layout, the cleaner Medium-to-Soft approach looked strongest in clean air. With two stops the norm at the front, execution on pit entry and traffic timing did the heavy lifting.
Red Bull double act and a late charge
From P8 on the grid, Max Verstappen carved through to second for Red Bull Racing. His personal fastest lap was a 1:44.993 on lap 48, underscoring a sharp final stint. The gap at the flag was tiny at +0.196, but just short of the win.
Isack Hadjar completed a strong day for Red Bull with third from P4 on the grid. His two-stop strategy and stable pace on Mediums late on secured the podium by a comfortable margin of +10.704. Red Bull’s mixed tyre sequencing got both cars into clear air at different stages, and it paid off on a track where DRS trains can form quickly.
Ferrari’s mixed day and Haas’s double score
Ferrari banked points but missed the podium. Charles Leclerc started P2 and came home fourth, setting a personal best of 1:45.784 on lap 44. Lewis Hamilton matched his grid slot to finish sixth, with a 1:46.170 fastest effort.
Mercedes had more to smile about beyond the win, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli surged from P16 to P5 with a strong closing run on Softs. That drive, only +0.376 behind Leclerc at the line, capped a high-yield Sunday for the Silver Arrows. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri started third but slipped to P14 after two stops.
Haas enjoyed a tidy points haul. Esteban Ocon finished eighth from P13 and was just 0.030 behind seventh. Oliver Bearman followed in ninth, 0.740 off Ocon. Consistent pace and mistake-free stops got both cars into the top ten.
Safety Car, retirements and the fine margins of Baku
The Safety Car made an appearance, tightening things at key moments. The midfield was decided by tenths, with that 0.030 gap between P7 and P8 a reminder of how punishing Baku’s long straights can be without perfect exits.
There were several retirements. Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly stopped after 36 laps, Alexander Albon after 31, Fernando Alonso on 23 and Lance Stroll after 9. Valtteri Bottas was classified as retired late on. Elsewhere, Racing Bulls logged points with Arvid Lindblad in seventh and Liam Lawson in twelfth, showing useful race-day form. Williams added a point with Carlos Sainz Jr. in tenth after three stops, finishing 0.487 behind Bearman. For complete lap charts, stints and times, visit the full event hub on Sofascore.