George Russell ended his Formula 1 victory drought in heart-stopping fashion. The Mercedes driver edged out Max Verstappen in a drag race to the line at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday (26/4/2026), winning by just 0.196 seconds. But behind that narrow margin lies a dramatic story that only emerged after the race.
Turbo Loss at the Crucial Moment
Russell revealed that he lost the use of his boost button on his Mercedes at the most critical moment. He had to defend without extra power as Verstappen closed in. "When the yellow flag came out [for Bottas' crash], I lifted off the power and when I went back I had no turbo, so then I had no power and Max almost got me at the line," Russell said in parc ferme. "That would have been a real shame but all in all an incredible weekend."
The British driver also admitted that the restart after the safety car was the most tense moment. "The first half of the race felt pretty plain-sailing, getting the gap. The Safety Car restart with Max behind I thought 'this is not going to be easy' and he drove incredibly at the end of the race," he added.
Praise for Russell's Composure
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord, standing in for the absent Toto Wolff, praised Russell's calmness under extreme pressure. "After the restart Max got a sniff and it's like a shark with blood in the water, and suddenly there he is," Lord told Sky Sports F1. "George could gain half a second every time in the middle sector and then the big bungee cord just pulled Max back in the slipstream. High, high pressure for George. One mistake and that would have been the win gone."
Lord also described the heart-stopping final lap when Valtteri Bottas hit the wall and a double yellow flag was shown. "Our blood pressure rocketed when we saw Valtteri in the wall and a double yellow. George said he lost boost and it looked like it might be lost at the very last, but fortunately it wasn't. Two tenths, but two tenths is enough."
Impact on the Championship and Russell's Form
This victory is a breath of fresh air for Russell, who has been inconsistent this season. He has now reduced the gap to his Mercedes teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, to 66 points in the drivers' standings. "I think it's just having more experience with this new driving style I've adopted and every race since then summer break I feel like I've gone from strength to strength," Russell explained. "I feel more like myself, so that's really great."
The result in Baku also showed that Mercedes can still compete on tracks that demand a balance between speed and fuel efficiency. Although Red Bull showed strong pace, especially in sectors with long slipstreams, Russell proved that calmness and good race management can still overcome raw speed.
With 66 points to chase, Russell still has a chance to challenge for the world title. However, consistency will be key. If he can maintain the form he showed in Azerbaijan, the battle in the second half of the season is sure to heat up.
Baca Juga
Franco Colapinto minta maaf setelah menabrak Pierre Gasly dan Lando Norris di F1 Azerbaijan. Insiden ini merugikan Alpine dan Norris dalam perebutan poin.
Franco Colapinto menyebabkan kecelakaan beruntun di Tikungan 1 Baku, membuat Lando Norris murka dan menuntut FIA menjatuhkan sanksi skorsing.
Ferrari tanpa podium dalam 5 balapan, Vasseur tetap optimis karena lebih banyak poin dari McLaren. Simak analisis lengkapnya di sini.
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