George Russell enjoyed a perfect Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, delivering one of the rare achievements even Formula 1’s greatest drivers have managed only a handful of times: victory, pole position, fastest lap and every lap of the race led from start to finish.
The result did not suddenly transform George Russell’s championship prospects, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli still holding a 66-point advantage, but it provided a major confidence boost for the closing stages of the season. Toto Wolff was not in Baku, yet the Mercedes team principal made sure he was part of the celebrations immediately after the race, contacting George Russell by video call as the team also marked a historic milestone that moved it ahead of Ferrari.
George Russell completes perfect Azerbaijan GP weekend
George Russell arrived in Azerbaijan with high expectations, although perhaps even he could not have anticipated such a dominant weekend. Andrea Kimi Antonelli made a costly mistake in qualifying and effectively condemned himself to a start from the eighth row, but George Russell showed no signs of feeling additional pressure.
The British driver claimed pole position and finished eight tenths of a second clear of second-placed Charles Leclerc, completing a commanding Baku qualifying performance.
Once the race began, George Russell immediately pulled away and looked untouchable. Two Safety Car periods complicated what had otherwise been a controlled afternoon, repeatedly erasing the advantage he had built, but neither intervention prevented him from converting pole position into victory.
The Azerbaijan triumph was the eighth victory of George Russell’s Formula 1 career and his third of the 2026 season, following previous wins in Australia and Austria. His pursuit of Andrea Kimi Antonelli therefore continues, although the 66-point gap remains significant in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship standings.
Toto Wolff surprises George Russell with video call
After climbing out of the car, George Russell began celebrating with the Mercedes team. Toto Wolff was not present in Azerbaijan, having followed the weekend remotely, but he quickly found a way to join the celebrations.
The Mercedes team principal contacted George Russell through a video call using a team member’s smartphone, with television cameras capturing the exchange. Toto Wolff’s enormous smile reflected the mood inside a team that is increasingly strengthening its position in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
For Mercedes, however, George Russell’s victory also carried a wider historical significance.
Mercedes takes historic Formula 1 engine record from Ferrari
The Baku victory moved Mercedes to the top of another all-time Formula 1 ranking. The German manufacturer has now become the most successful engine supplier in the history of the championship in terms of race victories, reaching 252 wins compared with Ferrari’s 251.
It is a record Ferrari had held for 22 years. The Maranello manufacturer moved into sole possession of the benchmark at the 2004 United States Grand Prix, when Michael Schumacher delivered Ferrari’s 177th engine victory and moved the Italian manufacturer ahead of Ford.
Mercedes’ total has not been built exclusively through victories achieved by its own works team. Its engines have also won races with customer operations including Brawn GP, Racing Point and, most notably, McLaren.
George Russell’s Baku victory therefore became significant on two levels. Individually, it completed an almost flawless weekend and gave the Mercedes driver further momentum for the final phase of the 2026 season. Historically, it was the victory that pushed Mercedes beyond Ferrari in one of Formula 1’s longest-standing statistical battles.
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