News Summary
- George Russell won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by 0.1s over Max Verstappen.
- Isack Hadjar finished third in his first race back after a three-round absence.
- Two safety cars disrupted the race, including one after a restart collision that eliminated Lando Norris and both Alpine drivers.
George Russell held off Max Verstappen to win Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just 0.1s, securing his third Formula 1 victory of 2026. The Mercedes driver had controlled much of the race in Baku before two safety cars erased his advantage and left him defending against the Red Bull through the closing laps.
Isack Hadjar finished third on his return from injury, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli. Lewis Hamilton took sixth, followed by Arvid Lindblad, Esteban Ocon, Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz. Gabriel Bortoleto finished 13th.
Russell made a clean start from pole and opened a gap while the positions behind him changed rapidly. Oscar Piastri passed Leclerc for second at the start, but the Red Bulls moved forward in the opening laps. Hadjar briefly ran ahead of Verstappen before his teammate took the position; Verstappen then pursued Piastri as Russell extended his lead to almost 10 seconds.
The first interruption came on lap 31, when Alex Albon hit the barrier at Turn 5. The safety car wiped out Russell’s advantage and prompted pit stops across the field. Albon got out of his Williams and was reported to be OK.
Verstappen passed Piastri for second at the restart, but another collision immediately brought out the safety car. Franco Colapinto locked up at Turn 1 and hit Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, with Lando Norris also caught in the crash. All three retired. Colapinto apologised to Gasly and the team over the radio, saying he had “completely locked up”; Norris got out of his McLaren and was reported to be OK.
Russell retained the lead at the second restart, now with Verstappen directly behind him. The Red Bull stayed within a second over the final stretch and closed sharply on Baku’s long straight, but Russell kept the lead to the chequered flag. Hadjar meanwhile passed Piastri for third, completing a Red Bull double podium in his first Grand Prix since returning from a wrist injury.
Antonelli recovered from 16th on the grid to finish fifth, gaining 11 places. Piastri, who had run second early in the race, fell out of the points after the restarts. Bortoleto moved up from 17th on the grid to 13th but could not reach the top 10.
The championship continues next weekend with the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang in Malaysia.
F1 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix results
| Pos. | Driver | Team/Engine | Laps/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G RUSSELL | Mercedes | 51 laps |
| 2 | M VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull RBPT Ford | +0.196 |
| 3 | I HADJAR | Red Bull RBPT Ford | +10.704 |
| 4 | C LECLERC | Ferrari | +14.136 |
| 5 | A K ANTONELLI | Mercedes | +14.512 |
| 6 | L HAMILTON | Ferrari | +22.382 |
| 7 | A LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | +31.159 |
| 8 | E OCON | Haas Ferrari | +31.189 |
| 9 | O BEARMAN | Haas Ferrari | +31.929 |
| 10 | C SAINZ | Williams Mercedes | +32.416 |
| 11 | N HÜLKENBERG | Audi | +33.231 |
| 12 | L LAWSON | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | +34.013 |
| 13 | G BORTOLETO | Audi | +34.230 |
| 14 | O PIASTRI | McLaren Mercedes | +36.401 |
| 15 | S PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari | +41.400 |
| 16 | V BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari | NC |
| 17 | F COLAPINTO | Alpine Mercedes | NC |
| 18 | P GASLY | Alpine Mercedes | NC |
| 19 | L NORRIS | McLaren Mercedes | NC |
| 20 | A ALBON | Williams Mercedes | NC |
| 21 | F ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda | NC |
| 22 | L STROLL | Aston Martin Honda | NC |
F1 today: FAQ
What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?
Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.
Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?
George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.
Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?
Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.
Who won the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
George Russell won for Mercedes, finishing 0.1s ahead of Max Verstappen. Isack Hadjar was third.
