George Russell wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Mercedes clinches top step

George Russell claimed victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who took second place, and Isack Hadjar, who completed the podium in third. Russell said the weekend was "great" and highlighted a strong pace that allowed his team to pull almost a second ahead of rivals before a late-race yellow flag caused a brief loss of turbo boost.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who missed the first two practice sessions, expressed satisfaction with his fifth-place finish, noting that the medium-compound tyres lacked grip and that he had to manage damage on the soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton, finishing sixth, described the race as "pretty bad" for him, citing difficulties in getting the tyres to work and an inability to keep up with the leaders.

Max Verstappen praised the Red Bull car's performance but admitted the medium tyre struggled early on, forcing a switch to the soft compound that allowed him to close to within a second of the leader. He said the team would "keep trying" to win races later in the season.

Isack Hadjar, returning from a wrist injury, was delighted with his third place, calling it his first "proper podium" and emphasizing a cautious approach that paid off. Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez was not mentioned in the race report.

Alpine driver Franco Colapinto apologised for the incident that eliminated teammate Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris, describing it as a "big mistake" and expressing regret to the team. Gasly acknowledged a strong weekend overall but said the team would move on.

Lando Norris, who retired after being hit by the Alpine cars, criticised the straight-line speed of his car and suggested that some drivers "shouldn't be in F1," hoping for better performance in upcoming races.

Acting Mercedes team principal Bradley Lord said the final double yellow-flag period created a tense moment for Russell, but praised his driver for not making any errors and securing the win.