In the closest green flag finish since 2002, Russell records his first Grand Slam, Red Bull record their first double podium in over two years and Stroll records a fourth DNF in a row. Here are the facts and statistics from the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix!
RUSSELL WINS THE 2026 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX
George Russell took victory in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, winning for the eighth time in his career. He became the 44th driver to record as many as eight Grand Prix wins, equalling team-mate Kimi Antonelli on the all-time list.
Russell recorded the first Grand Slam of his career, taking pole position, leading every lap on his way to victory and setting the fastest lap. He is the 29th driver to achieve the feat in Formula 1 history.
As well as being the first time he has led a race from start to end, the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the second time, after the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, that Russell has taken pole position, set the fastest lap and won the race.
Russell won by 0.196 seconds – the 11th closest winning margin in Formula 1 history. It was the closest finish since the 2023 Australian Grand Prix (0.179s) and the closest finish to a race which did not finish behind a Safety Car since the 2002 United States Grand Prix (0.011s).
Russell became the eighth different winner in the ten races to date at Baku City Circuit.
Russell’s victory saw Mercedes equal Ferrari as the most successful engine manufacturer in Formula 1. This was the 251st Mercedes-powered victory in the sport’s history, equalling Ferrari at the top of the list. Ferrari had held the outright record since the 2004 British Grand Prix.
This was Mercedes’ first victory at Baku City Circuit since Valtteri Bottas’ win at the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It was the team’s fourth victory in total at the track.
Mercedes became the third constructor – after Ferrari and McLaren – to reach 8,000 Grand Prix laps led.
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the 42nd consecutive race in which a Mercedes-powered car finished on the podium. It is now the longest streak of podiums for Mercedes-powered cars in F1, overtaking their previous run of 41 successive podiums between the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Russell became the second driver, after Max Verstappen, to set multiple fastest laps at Baku City Circuit. It saw Mercedes overtake Red Bull for the most fastest laps at the track, this being their fourth here.
Mercedes became the second engine manufacturer, after Ferrari, to record as many as 250 fastest laps in Formula 1. Ferrari reached the milestone at the 2018 British Grand Prix.
Russell took pole position for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a larger margin than by which he won the race. This was the first time that the pole margin was bigger than the win margin since the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, and the first time it happened in a race which did not finish behind the Safety Car since the 2016 Singapore Grand Prix.
ON THE PODIUM
Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar joined George Russell on the podium at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, making this the first time in over two years – since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix – that both Red Bull drivers stood on the podium.
This was the first race which a Mercedes driver won with two Red Bull drivers finishing in second and third since the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix.
Red Bull equalled Mercedes for the most podium finishes at Baku City Circuit. Both teams are now tied on nine podium finishes at the venue.
Verstappen overtook Sergio Perez as the driver who has scored the most points at Baku City Circuit in the track’s decade on the F1 calendar.
This was Verstappen’s fourth top two finish in the last five years at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Verstappen became the first driver to record a podium finish from eighth on the grid since Lewis Hamilton did so at the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
On his return to F1 after a wrist injury, Hadjar maintained his 100% points-scoring record at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a podium finish. This was his third podium finish and his second with Red Bull, having previously finished third in the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
IN THE POINTS
Charles Leclerc finished fourth in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. With Lewis Hamilton sixth, this was the first time since the Dutch Grand Prix that both Ferrari drivers reached the finish line.
This was the first race since the 2026 Australian Grand Prix which Kimi Antonelli did not lead a lap of. It ended a streak of 13 successive races which Antonelli had led, the equal-sixth-longest such streak in F1 history.
Having started 16th, Antonelli maintained his 100% points-finishing record at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a fifth place finish. His fifth place ended a streak of five consecutive podium finishes. It was his first finish off the podium since the British Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s fifth place marked the best result to date for the driver starting 16th in Baku. Stoffel Vandoorne’s ninth place in 2018 is the only other time that the driver starting here scored points.
This was the second race weekend in a row that a Mercedes driver won the race while the other finished fifth.
Finishing sixth, Lewis Hamilton remains the only driver to complete every Grand Prix racing lap to date at Baku City Circuit. He’s completed every lap of every race at the track since it first joined the calendar in 2016. He became the first driver to race 500 laps at the track.
Overtaking Esteban Ocon on the line, Arvid Lindblad finished seventh in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It equalled the second-best result of his career to date and marked his ninth points-scoring Grand Prix in the last ten race weekends. This was Racing Bulls’ first top seven finish since the British Grand Prix.
With Ocon eighth and Ollie Bearman ninth, Haas scored points for the first time since Ocon’s ninth place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. This was the team’s first double points-scoring race since the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
This was the first time both Haas cars have finished in the top ten in a single race at Baku City Circuit. The team have scored here only twice previously, with a seventh place in 2017 and tenth in 2014.
Carlos Sainz finished tenth, scoring his first point since his ninth place finish at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix. It was also Williams’ first point since Alex Albon finished eighth in Monaco.
THE OTHER FINISHERS
With Oscar Piastri finishing 14th and Lando Norris retiring, neither McLaren driver scored a point at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This was the third race of the year, after China and Canada, in which the team failed to score a point. It was the first time since 2016 that McLaren left Baku having not scored a point.
Piastri’s 14th place ended a streak of three successive races in which he had scored points. He’s yet to score in more than three races in a row so far this year.
Piastri’s win at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix remains the only time that he has scored a point in a Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit.
Nico Hulkenberg finished 11th, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 13th in the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, making this only the second time in the last seven races that Audi failed to score a point.
THE RETIREES
Lance Stroll failed to finish the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It was his fourth successive retirement. It is the first time in his career that Stroll has recorded retirements at four races in a row. In total, this was Stroll’s 11th non-finish of the season.
Fernando Alonso joined his team-mate in retirement, making this Aston Martin’s fifth double non-finish of the year. The team has now recorded 17 non-finishes in the 15 Grands Prix to date this season. It was the team’s first-ever double DNF in Baku.
This was Alonso’s first retirement in Baku since the 2016 European Grand Prix.
At the Safety Car restart, Franco Colapinto collided with Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly. This was Colapinto’s first retirement during his time racing with Alpine.
Lando Norris was taken out at Turn 1 in the collision between the Alpine teammates. This was his fourth non-finish of the year – his first since the Monaco Grand Prix.
This was the first time Norris failed to score a point in his seven appearances at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He had never previously finished outside of the top nine here.
Alex Albon crashed out of the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This was his sixth non-finish of the year. It was the first time he failed to finish in his six appearances in Baku.
Valtteri Bottas recorded his sixth DNF in the last ten races, recording Cadillac’s 11th non-finish in the last 11 races.