George Russell holds off Max Verstappen to claim victory in Azerbaijan

George Russell claimed victory in Baku. Pic: Darko Bandic/AP

George Russell re-entered the world championship conversation by holding off Max Verstappen to win Saturday’s nail-biting Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just one tenth of a second – as title rival Kimi Antonelli finished fifth.

Russell all but raised the white flag after the last round in Madrid where Antonelli claimed his eighth victory of the year to extend his title advantage to 81 points.

But the British driver has been in inspired form on the streets of Baku, charging to pole position before navigating his way through two safety car periods, and Verstappen’s late advances, to take his third win of the campaign and his first since the Austrian Grand Prix, 90 days ago.

Russell trims Antonelli’s title lead to 66 points with 208 still to play for across the scheduled remaining eight rounds.

It was damage limitation for Antonelli after his qualifying crash left him 16th on the grid. Antonelli was in the points by the 16th lap and a safety car, deployed on the 31st lap after Alex Albon crashed out, fortuitously propelled him onto the back of the leading drivers.

Antonelli briefly dropped behind Lando Norris to ninth at the first restart, but moved up two places when Franco Colapinto wiped out both Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly and Norris with a banzai move.

Antonelli made light work of Lewis Hamilton to take fifth with nine laps left. Isack Hadjar completed a double Red Bull podium as he finished third, a place ahead of Charles Leclerc, with Hamilton settling for sixth.