The Grand Prix Weekend
Follow each Formula One race weekend through qualifying pace, race strategy, tyre performance, driver execution, team orders, technical upgrades and championship consequences.
Open the Weekend ReviewA Formula One weekend is more than the race itself. Practice sessions reveal long-run pace and technical direction. Sprint sessions and qualifying define track position and pressure. Race day brings together tyres, strategy, pit stops, driver judgement, team calls and reliability.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix · Russell wins the Baku thriller
George Russell converted pole position into victory at the Baku City Circuit, resisting a late challenge from Max Verstappen to win by only 0.196 seconds. Isack Hadjar completed a double podium for Red Bull Racing, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli recovered from 16th on the grid to finish fifth.
Weekend Results
Championship After Baku
Russell, Verstappen, Hadjar
Russell controlled much of the race from pole before Safety Car periods erased his advantage and brought Verstappen into contention. The Mercedes driver held on through the closing laps to secure his third victory of the season. Hadjar finished third on his return to competition.
Top 6 after Round 15
What defined the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Pole position, Safety Cars, recovery drives and championship consequences from a dramatic weekend in Baku.
Russell turns Baku speed into victory
Russell led FP1 and FP2, secured pole by 0.837 seconds and then won the Grand Prix. His fastest race lap, 1:44.916 on Lap 49, completed a commanding Baku weekend.
Verstappen and Hadjar deliver a double podium
Verstappen recovered from eighth on the grid to finish only 0.196 seconds behind Russell. Hadjar converted fourth on the grid into third place to give Red Bull Racing two cars on the podium.
Antonelli limits the damage from 16th
Antonelli crashed in qualifying and started 16th, but recovered to fifth in the race. Russell's victory cuts the championship margin from 81 points after Madrid to 66 after Baku.
How to read a Formula One weekend
Each Grand Prix weekend builds from practice into qualifying and race day, with Sprint sessions adding another competitive layer at selected rounds.
Free Practice
Long-run pace, tyre behaviour, setup direction, upgrades and the first clues about competitive order.
Sprint Sessions
Sprint Qualifying and the Sprint reduce setup time and add championship points before Sunday.
Qualifying
One-lap performance, track evolution, pressure execution and the battle for pole position.
Race Day
Tyre choices, pit windows, overtaking, safety cars, reliability and team decisions converge.
What We Watch
How close the teams are over one lap and where performance is gained or lost.
Long-run behaviour, compound choice and how degradation shapes the pit windows.
Undercuts, overcuts, safety-car reactions and the timing of decisive pit stops.
Starts, overtaking, tyre management, errors and performance under pressure.
Upgrades, setup choices and how teams exploit the 2026 generation of cars.
How every point changes Antonelli’s 66 point lead over Russell and the Mercedes versus Ferrari constructors’ battle.
Latest Grand Prix Weekend Coverage
Weekend previews, practice analysis, Sprint reports, qualifying stories, race reports and post-race analysis.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix Report: How Russell Won the Baku Thriller
Russell Wins in Baku as Red Bull Takes Double Podium and Antonelli Charges From 16th to Fifth
George Russell Takes Commanding Azerbaijan GP Pole as Mercedes Dominates Baku Qualifying
Verstappen Edges Russell in Final Baku Practice as Mercedes Faces Qualifying Challenge
Russell Leads Mercedes One-Two in Baku as Antonelli Recovers and Verstappen Takes Third
Russell Sets the Pace in Eventful Baku Opening Practice
Formula 1 Approves Plan to Shorten Grand Prix Races from 2027
Madring Under Review: Drivers Demand Changes After Overtaking Drought in Madrid
