George Russell delivered a flawless performance at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver started from pole and never looked back, surviving two safety car periods to claim his third win of the season and his first since Austria in June. Russell proved that Mercedes are back in the championship fight.
From qualifying, Russell had already laid down a marker. He took pole by a massive eight tenths, a huge margin on the streets of Baku. In the race, he immediately pulled away. His medium tyres proved more durable than the softs of his rivals, making a one-stop strategy the obvious choice. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen had to settle for second after being stuck behind Oscar Piastri for much of the race.
The race ran relatively smoothly until lap 30. But then Alex Albon crashed, triggering the first safety car. The Williams driver locked up at Turn 5 and slammed into the TecPro barriers. He was unhurt. The safety car turned the race on its head as almost all frontrunners had yet to pit. Russell stayed ahead, followed by Piastri, Verstappen, Hadjar, Leclerc, and Hamilton. Norris, who had been running fourth, dropped to ninth after running wide at Turn 1.
The lap 36 restart was pure chaos. Verstappen immediately passed Piastri for second. But behind them, Franco Colapinto lost control and speared into his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly. Lando Norris was caught in the crossfire and was out on the spot. Kimi Antonelli narrowly avoided the carnage. The incident brought out a second safety car and set up a dramatic finish.
After the final restart, Russell kept his cool and maintained a comfortable gap to Verstappen. He crossed the line to take a dominant win. Verstappen finished second, with Piastri third. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton completed the top five. The result intensifies the title fight. Russell now has three wins, matching Verstappen's tally for the season. The championship standings are tighter than ever.
For Mercedes, this victory confirms that their technical package works perfectly on street circuits. Straight-line speed and traction out of corners were key. Red Bull, on the other hand, have work to do. Verstappen admitted that graining on his medium tyres cost him valuable time.
With eight races remaining, every point will count. Russell and Verstappen are locked in a fierce battle at the top. The Baku circuit has once again shown how one mistake can change everything. Norris and Gasly will have to move on, while Colapinto faces scrutiny after his controversial move. The 2026 F1 season is far from over, and drama like this will continue.
Baca Juga
George Russell memenangi GP Azerbaijan 2026 setelah menahan tekanan Max Verstappen. Kemenangan tipis 0,1 detik memperketat persaingan gelar juara dunia F1.
Klasemen konstruktor F1 2026 usai GP Azerbaijan: Mercedes memimpin, Ferrari +20 poin atas McLaren, Red Bull podium ganda. Simak update lengkapnya.
Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 akan digelar di Malaysia, bukan Malaysia GP. Simak alasan, jadwal, dan dampaknya bagi kalender F1.
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