Russell fends off Verstappen to win in Baku, Antonelli fifth

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept 26 : George Russell held off Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen to complete a lights-to-flag win in Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Mercedes with teammate Kimi Antonelli limiting the damage to his championship lead by finishing fifth.

Russell took the flag 0.196 seconds ahead of the flying Dutchman, who started eighth but crossed the line nearly side-by-side with his Mercedes rival after two safety car phases turned a cruise into a fight for survival for the Briton.

Frenchman Isack Hadjar, who was handed a contract extension by Red Bull earlier this week and missed the last three races with a wrist injury, completed the podium on his racing return.

The win around the Baku street track was the eighth of Russell’s career, third of the season and his first since the Austrian Grand Prix at the end of June.

It allowed him to close the gap in the overall standings to Italian championship leader Antonelli by 15 points to 66 after 15 rounds.

“It’s amazing to be back on the top step of the podium,” said Russell. “Every race since the (summer) break I've gone from strength to strength and I feel more like myself again.”

Antonelli had started 16th after a rare error saw him crash out of Friday’s qualifying.

His drive on Saturday was less like his Monza charge – where he went from 19th to first – and more a slow burn recovery.

Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari ahead of the 20-year-old Italian. His seven-times world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton was sixth.

Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad finished seventh. Esteban Ocon took eighth ahead of teammate Oliver Bearman in a double points finish for Haas.

Carlos Sainz rounded out the top 10 for Williams.