Verstappen falls 0.196s short of Russell in Baku: “I was very close”

Summary

Verstappen finished 0.196 seconds behind Russell in Baku.
The Red Bull driver started eighth after technical problems disrupted qualifying.
Isack Hadjar finished third, giving Red Bull two places on the podium.

Max Verstappen said he had given everything in pursuit of George Russell after missing out on victory by 0.196 seconds at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Dutchman started eighth, worked his way into second and closed rapidly on the Mercedes in the final laps.

Verstappen said the gap had been around 1.1 seconds before yellow flags on the last lap cost Russell momentum out of a corner. That gave the Red Bull driver one final opportunity, but he reached the finish line just behind. “I was very close at the finish, but it wasn’t enough. I really did everything I could,” he said after the race.

His recovery followed a difficult Friday. Verstappen had been fastest in final practice, but reported losing speed on the straights relative to teammate Isack Hadjar during qualifying. He also cited a battery charging problem and a yellow flag on his final Q3 attempt, leaving him eighth while Russell took pole by 0.837 seconds over Charles Leclerc.

Russell led much of the race before two Safety Car periods brought the field back together. Verstappen emerged as his closest challenger and chased him to the flag, while Hadjar completed the podium in third. Antonelli finished fifth for Mercedes after starting 16th.

It was Verstappen’s closest finish to a victory this season, but his wait for a first win of 2026 continues. Formula 1’s fan vote named him Driver of the Day for the sixth time this year.