George Russell secured victory at the Baku Grand Prix after fending off late-race pressure from Max Verstappen, who finished second by just 0.1 seconds, with Isack Hadjar rounding out the podium in third. Russell maintained his lead from pole position through the opening corner as Oscar Piastri surged past Charles Leclerc to take second place, while Verstappen gained a position by overtaking Pierre Gasly on the starting grid.
Early-Race Battles and Team Tactics
Action unfolded rapidly through the opening laps as Verstappen carved through the field. On lap 2, Verstappen passed Lewis Hamilton for sixth place, setting his sights on rookie teammate Hadjar. By lap 3, Hadjar moved past Lando Norris into fourth, with Verstappen following his teammate past Norris a mere two turns later. Hadjar then passed Leclerc for third on lap 4, though Verstappen mirrored the move at the end of the straight.
On lap 7, team orders played a defining role when Hadjar yielded third place to Verstappen to let the title contender chase the leaders, dropping Hadjar back to fourth. Verstappen quickly closed within a second of Piastri. By lap 9, Verstappen dropped the gap to half a second but found no room to pass. Further down the order, Kimi Antonelli charged past Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, and Liam Lawson to break into the top eleven.
Safety Car Chaos and Mid-Race Dramas
Race attrition began to mount as Lance Stroll parked his car near turn 15 on lap 9 due to a mechanical issue, ending his afternoon early. Fernando Alonso similarly retired on lap 23 citing a suspected car problem. Up front, Russell stretched his lead over Piastri to 10 seconds by lap 26, though not without drama; Russell radioed his team on lap 25 to report a light wall touch, urging engineers to monitor his tire pressure data closely.
The race turned completely on lap 30 when Albon crashed heavily into the barriers at turn 6, triggering the deployment of the safety car. Because the incident occurred just after the pit lane entrance, drivers circulated before pitting on the following lap. Russell, Verstappen, Gasly, Antonelli, Norris, Franco Colapinto, Arvid Lindblad, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sergio Perez, and Carlos Sainz swapped to soft compound tires, while the rest of the grid retained mediums.
Late-Race Accidents and Verstappen’s Charge
Racing resumed on lap 36, but immediate chaos struck as the Alpine teammates collided. The impact collected Norris, who caught the outside wall, spun halfway, and heavily damaged his car’s rear, bringing out a second safety car alongside the immediate retirements of Colapinto and Gasly. When green flag racing returned on lap 39, Piastri suffered a major front-wheel lock-up at the end of the straight on lap 40, plummeting from the podium fight down to 15th position.
Verstappen closed to within half a second of Russell in the closing stages, but caught the wall at the exit of turn 16 on lap 47, asking his team to inspect for damage. Despite intensifying pressure and a final-lap lunge from the Red Bull driver, Russell kept his car ahead to cross the finish line first, securing the Baku win 0.1 seconds ahead of Verstappen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Baku Grand Prix?
George Russell won the race after maintaining his starting lead and holding off Max Verstappen in the final laps.
Who finished on the podium alongside Russell?
Max Verstappen finished second for Red Bull, just 0.1 seconds behind Russell, while Isack Hadjar secured third place.
What caused the safety car deployments?
Alex Albon’s heavy crash at turn 6 triggered the first safety car. A subsequent multi-car collision involving the Alpine cars and Lando Norris brought out the second safety car.
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