Russell holds off Verstappen for win in thrilling Azerbaijan GP finale

George Russell held off Max Verstappen in a thrilling finale to claim victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just a tenth of a second.

Mercedes' Russell had been on course for a dominant victory before two Safety Cars wiped out the 11-second lead he had built and left him desperately defending Red Bull's Verstappen in the closing stages.

The lights-to-flag triumph reduces Russell's deficit to his team-mate Kimi Antonelli at the top of the world championship to 66 points after the Italian fought back from 16th on the grid, following a qualifying crash, to finish fifth.

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Isack Hadjar took third to seal Red Bull's first double-podium since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, completing an impressive comeback after missing three races with a wrist injury.

Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari after dropping back from second in the early stages, while his team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished where he started in sixth after lacking pace throughout.

More to follow...

Formula 1 heads to Malaysia for the first time since 2017 as it hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit - watch live coverage from Friday morning, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime