The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend went the best way many believed the 2026 season would play out. George Russell strolled to victory from pole, although with slightly late jeopardy, while Kimi Antonelli’s crash in qualifying meant he needed to battle his approach via the sphere to complete fifth. That, in spite of everything, was the order of issues final season.
But the previous few days in Baku are an inversion of the season’s storyline. It’s Antonelli who has been the sooner driver, heading for a maiden world title on the second time of asking. Russell has been the troubled one. This was solely the Briton’s third victory of the season and his first since Austria in late June. Antonelli has racked up eight wins and, earlier than this weekend in Baku, a well-deserved 81-point lead over Russell.
Russell’s dominant and spectacular run from pole to the chequered flag on Saturday is each a reminder of what he’s able to and likewise what may need been, had he been capable of finding the sort of kind earlier and extra usually. The truth, although, is that he wants to copy this for the remainder of the season to even be in with a sniff, barring a catastrophic meltdown from Antonelli. Nonetheless, Russell seemed elated to have ended his barren run.
The end was slightly extra tense than Russell deserved, having established a wholesome lead within the first half of the race. Two late security automobiles eradicated his benefit and helped put Max Verstappen’s Crimson Bull on his gearbox. In the long run, he triumphed by slightly below 0.2sec and, as Antonelli completed fifth – with some assist from two safety-car inducing crashes – he made up 15 factors on his Mercedes team-mate. Isack Hadjar accomplished the rostrum for Crimson Bull after lacking the previous three races with a wrist damage.
