The Aporia · Russell wins despite late Verstappen challenge

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Kimi Antonelli surprisingly crashed out during qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, hitting the wall at the first corner and damaging his car's suspension, placing him 16th on the grid. His teammate George Russell secured pole position, despite Antonelli leading the Formula 1 standings by 81 points after 14 rounds.

Russell expressed confidence in his car's performance around the Baku City Circuit but acknowledged that Antonelli remains a threat due to previous performances from behind the starting grid. The race is set for Saturday, September 26, at the Baku City Circuit in Azerbaijan, with temperatures expected to be warm and sunny. Apple TV offers a seven-day free trial to watch the race live streaming exclusively in the United States. Mercedes’ George Russell will start first ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while Oscar Piastri from McLaren starts third. The longest straight on the F1 calendar at Baku City Circuit highlights the importance of straight-line speed for this event. Despite Antonelli's poor qualifying position, he remains the championship leader and a contender for victory. Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr., Esteban Ocon, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Arvid Lindblad, Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Kimi Antonelli, and others will also compete. The race is an early one for U.S. viewers starting at 7 a.m. ET on September 26. Despite the large point deficit, Russell aims to narrow it with a strong performance in Baku.

Written for “Azerbaijan Grand Prix” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 11 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Sports · 12 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

This article reads unscored and hedges 5% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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Andrew Benson

31 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Leclerc was 0.659 seconds quicker than Antonelli, for whom a ninth-place finish will secure the championship regardless of any other results.

2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Leclerc fastest in Mexico City Grand Prix first practice

🔮 A Mercedes spokesperson said: "We expect him to be back tomorrow." Practice for the race starts on Friday at 18:30 GMT. Antonelli will seal the championship, and become the youngest winner in Formula 1 history, as long as he does not lose more than two points to team-mate George Russell and one point to Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in the grand prix on Sunday. The only way he could be stopped from tying up the title is if one of Russell and Hamilton wins.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Antonelli to miss Mexico media day with illness

🔮 Antonelli will be crowned champion in Mexico City next weekend as long he does not lose more than 23 points to Russell and 24 to Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

2026-10-25 · assertive framing · Antonelli wins in US but has to wait to secure title

🔮 Antonelli whooped with delight as he took his first pole position since the Belgian Grand Prix in July and said: "It feels good to be back." The 20-year-old Italian will become world champion on Sunday if he wins the race with Hamilton lower than fourth and Russell lower than eighth.

2026-10-24 · assertive framing · Antonelli takes US pole on weekend he can win title

🔮 Mekies said: "I am incredibly proud to continue this journey with Red Bull Racing, and I would like to thank Chalerm, Mark, and Oliver, the entire team, and everyone involved for the trust they have placed in the project.

2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Red Bull F1 boss Mekies gets new deal to 2031

🔮 The track is not completely finalised - there will be further consultation with teams and drivers - but is envisaged to be about 6km (3.7 miles) long, with 17 corners, and will use the undulating Rwandan landscape to help create a dramatic layout.

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · A 'landmark' moment - why has Rwanda been chosen to host F1?

🔮 The event - to be called the African Grand Prix - will be held on a new, purpose-built circuit in Bugesera, 25 miles south of the capital Kigali and next to the city's new international airport.

2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Rwanda to host F1's first race in Africa since 1993

🔮 Not every call will work out, and I can accept getting it wrong but I'm sorry for the team for the points we lost today.

2026-10-11 · assertive framing · Hamilton apologises to Ferrari as Antonelli moves to brink of title

🔮 To become champion in Austin, he would need to win the race with Russell finishing ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower.

2026-10-11 · assertive framing · Verstappen dominates for first Singapore Grand Prix win

🔮 Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, using the Mercedes upgrade that underperformed in Malaysia while Russell is on the previous specification, could manage only seventh. And there were further glitches with the engine settings provided by governing body the FIA five days after the formation laps in the wet in Malaysia saw cars reduced to crawling speed as a result of a software bug.

2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Verstappen on sprint pole after another settings issue

Also by Andrew Benson

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2026-10-30 · BBC News

Antonelli to miss Mexico media day with illness

2026-10-29 · BBC News

Antonelli wins in US but has to wait to secure title

2026-10-25 · BBC News

Antonelli takes US pole on weekend he can win title

2026-10-24 · BBC News

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 31 articles by Andrew Benson →

- Published Mercedes' George Russell held off a late challenge from Red Bull's Max Verstappen to win an Azerbaijan Grand Prix enlivened late on by two safety car periods. asserted

Russell → publish → periods

Russell dominated the first part of the race while Verstappen was climbing up from eighth place on the grid before becoming stuck behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri. asserted

Verstappen → dominate → Piastri

But two safety cars in quick succession put the Red Bull on Russell's tail for an 11-lap chase to the flag. asserted

cars → put → flag

Russell could never break free of Verstappen but the four-time world champion was not quite able to get close enough to try an overtaking move. uncertain

champion → break → move

After an issue with energy deployment, Russell was scared Verstappen would pass him on the run to the line, but held on to win by just under 0.2 seconds. asserted

Verstappen → scar → seconds

Russell's win, coupled with team-mate Kimi Antonelli recovering from 16th to fifth, narrows the Italian's advantage over the Briton in the championship to 66 points. asserted

Antonelli → couple → points

The key stories of an initially soporific and then dramatic and tense grand prix were: Russell's accomplished drive to his first win since the Austrian Grand Prix in June Verstappen's superb fightback from a difficult qualifying Mid-race chaos with a first safety car triggering a second almost immediately, as so often happens McLaren's race unravelling after a promising start Russell appeared on course for a comfortable win as the race unfolded with few incidents of note in the opening stages. asserted

race → trigger → stages

Piastri moved up from third on the grid to second by passing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at the start but the Australian lacked the pace to chase Russell, who edged away into a comfortable lead. asserted

who → move → lead

Behind, Piastri soon found himself holding off Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, who won an early battle with McLaren's Lando Norris and then passed Leclerc to challenge the McLaren. asserted

who → find → McLaren

Meanwhile, Verstappen was making his way up from eighth place after a qualifying session in which a cascade of problems had prevented him qualifying second to Russell. asserted

him → make → Russell

By lap seven, he was past Hadjar into third place after the Frenchman did not fight him. asserted

Frenchman → fight → him

The three cars circulated together in a stalemate, with no-one able to pass and the teams all waiting for the expected accident that would lead to a safety car and a cheap pit stop. asserted

that → circulate → car

That happened on lap 30, when Williams' Alex Albon crashed at Turn Five. asserted

Albon → happen → Turn

On the restart, six laps later, Verstappen passed Piastri into Turn One to move into second place. But the race was almost immediately put back under caution after a pile-up at the first corner caused by Alpine's Franco Colapinto, who cannoned into team-mate Pierre Gasly, who in turn clattered into Norris. asserted

who → pass → Norris

Behind them, the two Racing Bulls also came together, Arvid Lindblad tipping Liam Lawson into a spin, leading to a sarcastic response from the New Zealander on the radio. asserted

Lindblad → come → radio

That put Verstappen on to Russell's tail for another restart but the Briton handled the situation coolly, accelerating early and catching the Dutchman somewhat unawares. asserted

Briton → put → Dutchman

He was unable to shake Verstappen, who was always about 0.5secs behind but never quite close enough to try a move into Turn One, the only significant overtaking place. asserted

who → shake → Turn

Valtteri Bottas crashed his Cadillac at Turn 15, and after backing off for the yellow flags, Russell lost his turbo which in turn cost him electrical boost. asserted

which → crash → boost

Verstappen closed in on the run to the line and there was just 0.196secs between them as they crossed the line, the closest green-flag finish to a grand prix since the 2002 United States Grand Prix. asserted

they → close → Prix

Russell wins despite late Verstappen challenge

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