Russell relishes heart-stopping Verstappen battle: ‘The most amount of fun I've had in a race’

The Briton had to work much harder for the victory than his superiority throughout the weekend suggested. In complete control for most of the race, the two late restarts left him under pressure from the Red Bull driver, who, despite having the less competitive car, kept Russell on his toes all the way to the chequered flag and once again came agonisingly close to claiming his first win of the season.

Speaking in the post-race press conference, the race winner reflected on the intense final stint of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, describing it as one of the most enjoyable periods he could remember in a race. Russell explained that the tyres felt particularly strong, allowing both drivers to push flat out lap after lap rather than having to manage their pace.

The Mercedes driver also highlighted the unique challenge of racing around Baku, where the walls leave little room for error, particularly through the castle section. He compared the intensity of those final 10 laps to stories he had heard about racing in the early-to-mid 2000s, when drivers could attack at qualifying pace throughout a stint, with no tyre management required.

He finally added that the focus on power unit energy management this year often overshadows the fact that tyre management remains a key part of Formula 1. However, the way the tyre temperatures developed during the race meant there was virtually no need for management, which made the final stint particularly enjoyable.