Russell wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix, beating Verstappen after safety-car interruptions

Mercedes driver George Russell claimed victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, converting his pole position into a win after leading most of the 51-lap race. Russell started on medium tyres and maintained the lead through two safety-car periods, finishing ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who completed the race 0.20 seconds behind.

The race featured several incidents, including a crash by Alex Albon that prompted the first safety-car deployment on lap 30. During the subsequent restart, Franco Colapinto locked his tyres and collided with teammate Pierre Gasly, taking both Alpine cars and Lando Norris out of contention. A second safety-car followed a turn-one melee that also involved Liam Lawson.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who started second, fell back after defending against Isack Hadjar, while Charles Leclerc finished fourth. Mercedes teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli recovered from 16th on the grid to finish fifth, and Hadjar completed the podium in third place.

Other notable results included Arvid Lindblad in seventh, Haas drivers Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon finishing ninth and eighth respectively, and Carlos Sainz scoring points in a Williams car. Both Aston Martin entries retired, and Valtteri Bottas of Cadillac crashed on the final lap.

Russell’s win reduces the championship gap to 15 points behind Verstappen and extends his teammate Antonelli’s lead in the drivers’ standings.