George Russell won in Baku by just 0.196s.
But that doesn't tell the whole story.
He had built a healthy lead before two Safety Cars repeatedly bunched the field back together.
A perfect example of how an F1 race can effectively be “reset” without stopping it.
Baku gave us two Safety Cars, six retirements and a winning margin of just 0.196s.
Street circuits can be unforgiving — but that's also part of their appeal.
Would you like to see more street circuits in F1, or fewer?
Isack Hadjar returned to racing this weekend after missing three Grands Prix through injury.
His result?
P3.
A pretty impressive way to return to the Red Bull.
Kimi Antonelli started 16th after his qualifying crash.
He finished 5th.
It won't grab the headlines like Russell's win, but in a championship fight, recovering from a bad qualifying can be hugely important.
0.196 seconds.
After 51 laps of racing, that's all that separated George Russell and Max Verstappen at the finish in Baku.
One slightly worse corner exit and the result could have been completely different.
George Russell wins in Baku 🏆
Verstappen finishes just 0.196s behind.
Hadjar takes P3 on his return.
Antonelli: P16 → P5.
Two Safety Cars. Six retirements.
Another very Baku kind of race.
One thing for newer F1 fans to watch at Baku: the gap between cars before the huge straight.
Get close enough and the slipstream can be enormously valuable.
It's one reason a car that looks safe ahead can suddenly come under attack into Turn 1.
Antonelli's Q1 crash makes today's race particularly interesting.
Starting down the order means the championship leader has to fight through the field, while Russell starts from pole with a chance to take points out of him.
Russell starts on pole in Baku, but pole isn't as powerful here as you might think.
That enormous run towards Turn 1 creates a big slipstream opportunity — and Baku has a habit of turning apparently comfortable races upside down.
A reminder: the Azerbaijan GP is TODAY, not Sunday. 🇦🇿
The whole Baku weekend has moved forward a day because Sunday is Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day.
Race starts at 12:00 UK time.
Question for newer F1 fans:
After watching qualifying today, was there anything the commentators mentioned that you didn’t completely understand?
Drop it below.
No question is too basic — if you’re wondering about it, there’s a good chance plenty of other people are too.
A huge qualifying session for the championship.
Russell takes pole in Baku, while championship leader Antonelli will start near the back after hitting the wall in Q1.
On a street circuit, one small mistake can completely change a weekend — and potentially the title picture.
Watch the gaps between cars in Baku qualifying.
Drivers want clean air through the corners — but a well-positioned car ahead can provide a valuable tow down the enormous main straight.
Finding the right track position can be part of putting together the fastest lap.
The headline times from FP3 don’t necessarily tell us who will be fastest in qualifying.
Teams will have been learning about tyre preparation, fuel loads and setup as well as chasing lap time.
Qualifying is where we finally start getting clearer answers.
Fresh F1 tyres don’t automatically mean maximum grip.
They need to reach the right temperature first.
That’s why drivers weave, accelerate and brake on their out-laps. They’re not just killing time — they’re trying to start the flying lap with the tyres ready.
Would F1 strategy be better if drivers DIDN'T have to use two tyre compounds?
Teams could have complete freedom — even attempting the whole race on one compound.
More strategic freedom, or a recipe for everyone choosing the same obvious strategy?
One thing to watch in Baku practice: track evolution.
Street circuits start relatively "green", then grip improves as more rubber is laid down.
So a car struggling early in FP1 isn't necessarily struggling by the time qualifying arrives.
Baku tyre allocation:
⚪ C3 Hard
🟡 C4 Medium
🔴 C5 Soft
Pirelli expects low degradation and a one-stop race.
The interesting bit could be the C5 Soft: Pirelli thinks it may be capable of surprisingly long stints.
Baku's 2.2km flat-out section creates an unusual problem: the tyres can actually cool down before the huge braking zone into Turn 1
Less temperature = less grip.
Something to remember if you see drivers locking their front tyres this weekend.
Why can't an F1 driver just use the fastest tyre for the whole race?
In a dry GP, drivers must use at least two different slick compounds.
That simple rule effectively guarantees at least one strategic decision — even when tyre wear is very low.
40 Followers 138 Following🏁 Tudo sobre Fórmula 1: notícias, análises e curiosidades. Siga-nos para acompanhar de perto o mundo da velocidade! 🏎️💨 #F1 #Automobilismo #GiroAltoF1
403 Followers 464 FollowingTwitch Affiliate, known for just chilling and occasionally breaking things. I even stream on occasion too!
Past Projects: https://t.co/CCoDE4Afpx
2K Followers 1K FollowingSouth Africa is the most RACE-REGULATED country in the World - White Minority Persecution - FACT - Silent White Genocide - FACT
590 Followers 545 Followingborn in kalamata, Greece. Educ: American College of Greece, MSc university of Aston. Banking-Insurance-Education. Support game-changers, Innovation
7 Followers 174 Following"Chance Favors the Prepared Mind." - Louis Pasteur
I love Cosplaying, Toy Collecting, Photo Shooting and Playing with my toys...
61 Followers 426 FollowingKnackered old fart. F1 nut. Once a fast bowler. HCAFC hopeful. SciFi geek. Movie & music lover. Stargazer. F**K Reform, Farage, Trump, MAGA and Putin!
66 Followers 982 FollowingRon Dennis: Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you're stupid than open it and confirm that you are. #F1