# George Russell Wins Azerbaijan GP

> George Russell's Grand Slam win cuts Kimi Antonelli's F1 title lead to 66 points.
- Title: George Russell Wins Azerbaijan GP · Sky Sports | Shortify
- Summary: George Russell's Grand Slam win cuts Kimi Antonelli's F1 title lead to 66 points. George Russell's Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory reduced Kimi Antonelli's…
- Keywords: george russell, kimi antonelli, mercedes, azerbaijan gp, championship lead, grand slam, sports, George, Russell, Wins, Azerbaijan, Sky Sports
- Source: Sky Sports — https://skysports.com/f1/news/12040/13591984/george-russell-is-mercedes-driver-really-back-after-grand-slam-azerbaijan-gp-win-cut-kimi-antonellis-f1-title-lead
- Published: 2026-09-27T07:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: george russell, kimi antonelli, mercedes, f1, azerbaijan gp, championship lead, grand slam, sports
## George Russell wins Azerbaijan GP
George Russell drove superbly to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, reducing his Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli's championship lead to 66 points with eight races remaining.
## Russell's Grand Slam performance
Russell achieved his first Grand Slam in Formula 1, taking pole position, leading from lights-to-flag, and setting the fastest lap of the race.
## Russell's confidence boost
Russell said he felt his performance confirmed a corner had been turned, gaining confidence after adapting to F1's new 2026 cars.
## Close race against Verstappen
Russell beat Max Verstappen by one tenth of a second in a race with two Safety Car interruptions, the smallest margin since 2002.
## Pundits praise Russell
Jamie Chadwick called Russell's performance confirmation he has raised his level, while Karun Chandhok highlighted his ability to fend off Verstappen under pressure.
## Antonelli's recent struggles
Antonelli missed significant practice time with technical issues, crashing out of qualifying to leave himself 16th on the grid.
## Russell's next challenges
Russell faces a grid penalty for engine changes before the season ends, but proving he can match Antonelli's pace would be a psychological boost.
## Antonelli's perspective
Antonelli admitted he had been underperforming recently but now feels confident he can compete for every race, not just the championship.
## What happens next
The Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia follows, with Singapore, United States, Mexico and Brazil races completing the season.
## Key takeaway

George Russell's Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory reduced Kimi Antonelli's championship lead to 66 points with eight races remaining.