George Russell finally returned to the top step of the podium in F1 2026. After a win drought since Austria, the Mercedes driver conquered the streets of Baku and held off Max Verstappen to the chequered flag. The margin was just a tenth of a second—tension filled the air until the final corner.
The race at Baku City Street Circuit delivered typical street-circuit drama. Russell was dominant from practice, taking pole by eight tenths over Charles Leclerc—reportedly the largest qualifying margin of F1's modern era. But victory was not easy. Verstappen, with a powerful RB22, haunted him in the latter half.
Russell: A Flawless Weekend
Russell himself called his performance "flawless." He topped FP1, and although Verstappen stole P1 in FP3, Russell responded with a brilliant pole. In the race, he controlled the pace but had to be extra cautious as Verstappen kept closing in. This win reduces Russell's gap to teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli to 66 points ahead of the Sepang round.
Antonelli: A Tough Test in Baku
For Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Baku was a nightmare. A Q1 crash destroyed his front-left suspension and forced him to start from the eighth row. Lacking pure pace, he could only finish fifth after a 51-lap battle, including floor damage at the Safety Car restart. Despite losing points, he still leads the drivers' championship. But mistakes like this can decide titles.
Verstappen: Nearly Perfect
Max Verstappen once again showed his class. A power unit issue in Q3 forced him to start from P8, but he managed to bring the RB22 to second place and nearly overtook Russell. The race turned into a cat-and-mouse game in the final phase, with Verstappen pressing hard. Unfortunately, he had to settle for runner-up by a whisker.
Hadjar and Other Surprises
Isack Hadjar completed the podium after an impressive comeback with Red Bull following his summer break wrist injury. Meanwhile, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson collided at the restart, and Esteban Ocon made a confident statement after finishing eighth: "I'm one of the best."
With this result, the title fight heats up. Russell sends a signal that he hasn't given up, while Antonelli must bounce back in Sepang. Verstappen? He remains the biggest threat to the Mercedes duo.
Baca Juga
Rating pembalap F1 GP Azerbaijan 2026: George Russell sempurna, Max Verstappen nyaris menang, Andrea Kimi Antonelli gagal finis podium. Simak analisis lengkapnya.
Charles Leclerc sebut Red Bull dan McLaren unggul setelah GP Azerbaijan. Ferrari harus bereaksi jika tak ingin tertinggal jauh di klasemen F1.
Liam Lawson kecewa keputusan steward yang bebaskan Arvid Lindblad dari sanksi usai tabrakan di Baku. Insiden ini rusak balapan Lawson dan potensi poin Racing Bulls.
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