George Russell achieved his third win of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a result he believes proves he has moved beyond a difficult period in his campaign. The Mercedes driver successfully held off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in one of the tightest finishes in the sport’s history, securing his first victory since late June after a seven-race drought.
For Russell, the performance was a significant boost to his morale during a season where team-mate Kimi Antonelli has firmly established himself, tallying eight wins to date. Reflecting on the result, Russell stated that he feels he has successfully come through the other side of a challenging phase. He acknowledged that while Antonelli has maintained an incredible, near-flawless season, the championship is now reaching a critical point. Instead, Antonelli has taken the season by the throat and all but crushed the life out of Russell’s hopes. Though, a glimmer of hope still exists for Russell, even if he is too realistic to think too much about it for now.
The victory in Baku provided a tactical shift in the standings. Antonelli struggled to fifth place, which the Italian described as his weakest performance of the year. This shift has reduced the points gap between the two drivers to 66. While a significant deficit remains with roughly seven or eight races left, the margin has narrowed from the 81-point gap Russell faced prior to this weekend. With either seven or eight races still to go, and 25 points for a win, that’s still huge.
Russell expressed a pragmatic outlook regarding the remainder of the year. He emphasized that he is focusing solely on his own output, noting that if he continues to deliver the level of performance shown in Azerbaijan, he will be satisfied with his efforts regardless of the final outcome. The race, which was held on a Saturday rather than the traditional Sunday slot, proved a fitting stage for a driver often praised for his qualifying speed.
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