Russell wins the race by just 0.1 against a stellar Verstappen in Baku; Sainz comes back and tortures Alonso

George Russell won the F1 Azerbaijan GP 2026 played this Saturday in Baku by just a tenth of a margin compared to a stellar Max Verstappenwho was the main protagonist of the day with a spectacular comeback, from 8th to 2nd. The Dutchman could not finish his exhibition with a victory due to the master class of mettle and composure of the Englishman from Mercedes, who won his third victory of the year, the eighth for him in Formula 1.

All this, after the Briton withstood the suffocating pressure of the four-time champion in some final laps full of tension in a bumpy race in which there were two safety cars. In it Hadjar was third, the leader Kimi was able to gain positions up to 5th, Sainz came back ‘in extremis’ to achieve the points and Alonso abandoned due to another problem with his Honda engine.

George stops the beast

After the end of the Grand Prix, it was inevitable to ask the question: What would Verstappen have been able to do if he had not had engine problems in qualifying? His car could have finished perfectly second on the grid this Saturday, and from there, after what we saw this Saturday, it is clear that the fight for victory would have been even more spectacular and lasting between George and the four-time champion.

Max was forced to start eighth, with nothing to lose, and therefore, he started on the attack, looking for another feat in his career. On the way out he passed Gasly to get 7th, and on lap 2 he removed the stickers from Lewis Hamilton starting to be 6th, with a Hadjar very fast in front that also gained positions. Both Red Bull They looked like two rockets in the streets of Baku and the French and the Dutch were gaining positions together.

So much so, that on lap 3, they both overtook Norris without problems so that Hadjar was 4th and Verstappen, 5th. The next extension was Leclercwhom Isack would overtake on lap 4, and Max, on lap 5. While, George Russell, in the lead with the dominating car, in clean air, he was escaping, and the two Red Bulls were already stalking the 2nd place of Piastri.

However, Max’s initial comeback stopped there. Hadjar let him pass so his leader could try to attack Oscar, but there, Verstappen began to suffer with the medium tires. I understood that those tires were not suitable. He couldn’t pass Piastri and Russell escaped.

Things were looking so bad for the Dutchman that something unusual happened: Red Bull asked Hadjar if he had more pace to ask Max to give up his positionn, since Isack rode the soft tires. But the Frenchman preferred to wait. The race already seemed like Russell’s. It was a British Mercedes ride. But in Baku, in the ‘City of Fire’, things always happen. And it happened.

Two safety cars change everything

On lap 31, the abandonment of Alex Albon made the first safety car enter. No one at the top had stopped in the pits yet, so that’Safety‘It didn’t benefit anyone. However, it did help Max because the cars were regrouping. All the great advantage of Russel He had vanished because of that incident. And at the start, Max, who smelled blood, went for it again. He overtook Piastri with a great offensive in Turn 1 and was 8 tenths behind George. I wanted the win. But just on that lap 36, there was a pileup in turn 1 due to a multiple accident caused by Franco Colapinto.

The Argentine, who was 10thmade a very serious mistake by entering turn 1 too far behind on that start. He took his teammate, Gasly, who was 7thand that accident ended up hitting Lando Norris. All of them had to abandon and Pierre and Lando’s anger was considerable. The Argentine received a 10-second penalty that should be applied in the next race. To make matters worse, Lindblad, behind him, hit his partner Lawson, who was able to continue. The safety car returned to the track.

Tense ending

And with 13 laps to go, the race resumed. If George Russell wanted to win, he had to stop possibly the worst driver you can have in your rearview mirrors, Max Verstappen. He knew that if he made even one mistake, Max would give him the car. I couldn’t fail. And there, the Englishman gave an authentic recital of calm, temper and rhythm. He did not dilute himself before the four-time king. He did not make a single mistake and was cool enough to ask the team for a change in the motor map to defend himself in the final stretch.

George managed to escape in the first two sectors, but Verstappen, in overtaking mode, was about four tenths behind in the long final stretch. The moment was of maximum tension. And there, an accident by Bottas with two laps remaining, caused the stewards to show a yellow flag in a sector. And there, with a more aggressive management of that flag, Max stuck and accelerated with everything in the final stretch. George ended up winning by just a tenth. Specifically, by 0″196. .

George ended up sighing, that he needed a win so it must fill him with confidence. He knows that this World title is lost. Not even the 5th place of his teammate Kimi (he suffered in traffic to come back from 16th) and the points he managed to reduce are enough for him to dream with 8 races left in the championship (it could be 7).

But as he said in Madring to MD, he knows that he has a dominant car to aspire to the crown in the coming years and that now, after a complicated course, he needs to continue adapting his driving style and make it automatic to punish the rear wheels less in 2026 cars that, due to changes in pressures, do not accept George’s aggressive style on the rear tires. Being able to compete without thinking about it will allow you to be the best version of yourself. I was on it. And on a circuit like Baku, where the key is the degradation of the rear tires, George won. Significant.

Sainz goes back to the points ‘in extremis’

Carlos Sainz barely managed to save a point with a very good final attack. The Madrid driver had been ninth in qualifying, but had to start 14th on the grid due to a 5-position penalty. Thus, with an improved Williams, with a great weight reduction since this Grand Prix, I had to try to make a comeback.

The Madrid native was far from the points, but the abandonment of Norris, Gasly and Colapinto due to the accident caused by Franco gave him hope for the end of the race. He was playing for the points with Hülkenberg, and with just over two laps remaining, Sainz attacked Nico’s Audi with everything, braking from home, to take 10th place. The German was stuck and wanted to hit him back, but Carlos, in an ‘overtaking mode’ train, held on in points.

Fernando Alonso leaves

The torture of Baku for Fernando Alonso. The Asturian was competing at a clear disadvantage with an engine Sling very lacking in power on the long straights of this street circuit, which has the longest straight in the course (2.2 km). He already warned on Saturday that without top speed it was impossible to do anything, neither attack nor defend. He gained two places at the start, when hands count, to place 19th.

But it didn’t last long. Both cadillac They were faster.

‘Czech‘Perez passed him like a plane and Fernando He could only take his right hand out of the cabin and greet the Mexican. Then, he complained on the radio that he was losing 7 tenths in a single straight line. More forceful communications arrived. He tried to fight with Bottas, but the Finn always returned the play with more straight edge.

“I lose 1.1 straight. It’s not possible”he said, warning of a possible engine problem for which he finally decided to abandon, on lap 21.