Has George ‘cracked the code’? – Azerbaijan GP Review

Tom Clarkson, James Hinchcliffe and Alex Brundle sit down in the Baku paddock to dissect a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

George Russell may have only won the race by a tenth after a dramatic drag race with Max Verstappen to the finish line, but he was dominant all weekend to take his third victory of the season.

Why was George back to his best in Baku? Has he finally got to grips with the car? And what does this result mean for his title challenge?

Kimi Antonelli recovered from his crash in qualifying to climb from P16 to P5. Given the Mercedes’ straight-line speed, why wasn’t he able to cut through the field as successfully as he did in Monza? And was this the first time we’ve seen Kimi race with the championship in mind?

The guys also discuss Red Bull's first double podium since China 2024 - whether Max could have won had he qualified higher up, the team orders between him and Isack Hadjar, and just how impressive the latter’s performance was after missing the previous three races with a wrist injury.

Elsewhere, there was mayhem in the midfield as Franco Colapinto took out Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris at the first Safety Car restart, when Arvid Lindblad also hit his Racing Bulls teammate Liam Lawson. So what will the debriefs at Alpine and Racing Bulls look like?

Also on the agenda: Esteban Ocon’s future after leading Haas to a double points finish, a much-needed point for Williams, disappointment for Oscar Piastri having been in podium contention and an anonymous race for Ferrari.

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