Mercedes driver George Russell claimed a dominant victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading the race from pole position to the chequered flag. He managed two tense restarts after safety car periods and held off Max Verstappen by a mere one-tenth of a second at the finish line.
This win marks Russell's first in Baku and his third of the year, significantly boosting his world championship hopes. His Mercedes teammate and title leader, Kimi Antonelli, made an impressive comeback from 16th on the grid to finish fifth, but Russell still clawed back 15 points, narrowing the gap to 66 points with eight meetings remaining.
Verstappen, who started eighth, secured second place, with his teammate Isack Hadjar finishing third. Defending world champion Lando Norris retired from the race after a clash involving two Alpine cars on a restart.