Formula 1 race in Baku: Russell wins, Antonelli fights his way forward

His stable rival and world championship leader Kimi Antonelli narrowly missed his next Formula 1 miracle. Thanks to two safety car phases, the Italian drove from 16th position to fifth place after a debacle in qualifying. Three weeks after his crazy drive from 19th place to victory in Monza, Antonelli once again successfully limited the damage. Russell reduced the gap to the Italian in the overall standings to 66 points.

Antonelli demolished Mercedes in qualifying

Antonelli experienced a setback in qualifying. When he made a driving error in the first corner, he irreparably damaged the left front suspension of his Mercedes. "It was my mistake, completely unnecessary," he admitted. He described his Baku misfire as a "very good reminder" that "nothing is just given to you."

Antonelli didn't make any progress in the first few laps, but after 17 of 51 laps he was already in the top ten. Verstappen also couldn't keep up with pole man Russell's pace. A battery problem slowed him down in the hunt for a starting position. With a new engine in his Red Bull, Verstappen was on course for the podium early on.

Russell had a moment of shock halfway through the race when he hit the wall and was worried about his tires on the right side of the Mercedes. “It doesn’t feel good, please keep an eye on the tire pressure,” he instructed his pit driver over the radio.

On lap 31, Williams driver Alex Albon crashed into the track wall in turn five. The safety car drove onto the asphalt and the field tightened up. Antonelli immediately used this phase to change tires. A lap later, Russell and Verstappen got fresh rubber.