Not quite "plain sailing": Baku's late-race chaos almost cost Russell victory over Verstappen
Autosport • • sports
Key Points:
- George Russell narrowly won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by 0.196 seconds over Max Verstappen, following a dramatic safety car period triggered by Alex Albon's crash at Turn 5.
- Russell dominated early on, building an 11.1-second lead before the safety car bunched the field, allowing Verstappen to close the gap and overtake Oscar Piastri for second place.
- The race's final laps featured intense wheel-to-wheel action, with Russell managing to fend off Verstappen despite a late turbo lag caused by lifting under yellow flags.
- Verstappen praised Russell's pace and race management, acknowledging that overtaking him would have been very difficult even if starting second.
- With this victory, Russell aims to win every remaining race to close the 66-point gap to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who finished fifth after a conservative strategy.
