George Russell’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory extended Mercedes’ Constructors’ Championship advantage to 160 points. In the Drivers’ Championship, Russell cut teammate Kimi Antonelli’s lead from 81 to 66 points after the Italian recovered from 16th on the grid to finish fifth.
- Russell won in Baku, finishing 0.196 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen.
- Antonelli climbed from 16th to fifth, limiting his loss to Russell to 15 points.
- Mercedes scored 35 points and now leads Ferrari by 160 in the Constructors’ Championship.
George Russell strengthened Mercedes’ position in both Formula 1 championships with victory at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday (26). He took 25 points in Baku while teammate Kimi Antonelli earned ten for fifth place, reducing the Italian’s lead in their Drivers’ Championship battle to 66 points.
Russell had arrived in Azerbaijan 81 points behind Antonelli. His victory from pole position brought his total to 236, while Antonelli moved to 302. With eight Grands Prix remaining, the result gave Russell his largest gain on his teammate in a race since the summer break.
The two Mercedes drivers began the race at opposite ends of the field. Russell secured pole by 0.837 seconds in qualifying, while Antonelli hit the barriers in Q1 and started 16th after grid penalties were applied. The Italian worked his way through the field on Saturday to finish fifth, behind Russell, Verstappen, Isack Hadjar and Charles Leclerc.
Russell held off Verstappen at the finish by just 0.196 seconds. Speaking after the race, he said their pace had allowed both cars to pull away from the rest of the field, but a loss of power after he slowed for a yellow flag gave Verstappen one final opportunity. “When I went back on the power, I had no turbo, so when I had no power, that’s when he almost passed me,” Russell said.
Antonelli’s recovery ensured Mercedes scored with both cars despite his qualifying setback. He described Baku as his worst weekend of the year, but praised the car and the team’s race performance after gaining 11 places from his grid position.
The combined result added 35 points to Mercedes’ Constructors’ Championship total, taking it to 538. Ferrari scored 20 points through Leclerc’s fourth place and Lewis Hamilton’s sixth, moving to 378. Mercedes’ advantage over Ferrari therefore grew from 145 to 160 points. McLaren remains third on 306, followed by Red Bull on 263 after Verstappen and Hadjar both reached the podium.
The Drivers’ Championship gap moved in the opposite direction. Russell cut 15 points from Antonelli’s lead, although Antonelli remains ahead with 302 points to his teammate’s 236. Formula 1’s next round is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, at Sepang, from 2 to 4 October.
F1 today: FAQ
When is the next F1 race after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia takes place at Sepang on Sunday, 4 October 2026. The race starts at 08:00 BST, 03:00 US Eastern time and 15:00 in Malaysia.
Who leads the 2026 F1 championship after Baku?
Kimi Antonelli leads with 302 points, 66 ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell, who has 236. Russell reduced the gap by 15 points with his Azerbaijan GP victory.
What penalty will Franco Colapinto serve at the next F1 race?
Colapinto has a five-place grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia after causing the Baku collision involving Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.
