Antonelli wins Baku GP from pole: Mercedes takes dominant 1-2 street triumph
Rookie sensation converts pole for ninth victory of 2026. Russell P2, Leclerc P3. Championship lead widens to 88 points.
Why this victory matters
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was moved forward to Saturday 26 September to observe national Remembrance Day in Baku, and Mercedes made the most of every kilometer. Rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli converted Friday pole into his ninth victory of an extraordinary debut campaign, proving his mettle on one of the most perilous circuits on the calendar.
What actually happened
Formula1.com and Sky Sports report that Antonelli controlled the race from the start, fending off early pressure from teammate George Russell along the 2.2-kilometer Neftchilar Avenue straight. The 19-year-old managed his tire degradation with veteran maturity through the tight castle section, navigating the 7.6-meter pinch at Turn 8 without putting a wheel wrong.
A late safety car deployment on lap 44 compressed the pack, but Antonelli executed a flawless restart to finish in 1:31:28.412. Russell crossed the line 2.184 seconds later to secure an all-Mercedes 1-2 finish, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc captured third place (+4.739). McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fourth (+8.912) and Lewis Hamilton placed fifth (+14.305).
The victory expands Antonelli’s drivers championship lead to 317 points over Russell (229) and Hamilton (201). In the constructors championship, Mercedes moves to 546 points, comfortably ahead of Ferrari (383) and McLaren (318).
What to watch next
Formula 1 heads to Singapore next for night racing under the Marina Bay lights. With an 88-point cushion and nine wins in the bag, Antonelli is inching closer to sealing the 2026 world championship.
Sources
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