RUSSELL WINS IN BAKU TO CLOSE GAP IN TITLE FIGHT

Formula One arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan for Round Fifteen of this years World Championship. It was a very strong showing from title chasing George Russell who lead from start to finish to bring home an important win in the context of his season. It was closely fought with Verstappen who takes second ahead of his teammate Hadjar who will be happy no one can take this podium away from him as he crosses the line third.

It was pole sitter George Russell who got away well off the start with Oscar Piastri up to second ahead of Leclerc in the opening movements off the line.

The first retirement came just nine laps into this race with the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll once again coming to a stop on the side of the track, another disappointing weekend for the Canadian driver.

It then got a lot worse for Aston Martin as Fernando Alonso is forced into the pits to retire on lap twenty two of fifty one.

The first Safety Car was deployed on lap 31 when the Williams of Alex Albon had crashed into the barriers, four laps later and the Safety Car is in and it’s back to green flag conditions but only momentarily before another crash on the very next lap causes the second Safety Car of the afternoon as

on lap thirty six the McLaren of Lando Norris has crashed into turn one. He collided with the two Alpines into turn one, it was Franco Colapinto who locked up into turn one and hit his teammate Pierre Gasly who then hits Norris into the wall.

The crash would turn out to be race ending for Gasly who is forced to pull over on lap thirty seven and retire.Colapinto is pitted on the same lap to retire as well. A weekend that had the chance of points for Alpine ends in disappointment.

Its back to racing at full speed on lap thirty nine.

It was looking like at least third place for the sole remaining McLaren before a massive lock up on lap forty for Piastri into turn one as he sails into the run off and his hopes of a podium are gone completely!

The top three now Russell, Verstappen and Hadjar.

The final retirement came on the fifty first and final lap as Bottas puts his Cadillac into the wall which will have helped Russell across the line in first as Verstappen would have been halted by the yellow flags.

The next race is the Bahrain Grand Prix.

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