Russell's 0.196s Baku near-miss fails to crack F1's all-time closest finishes top 10
A razor-thin triumph that just missed the record books
George Russell held off a charging Max Verstappen to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by just 0.196 seconds — a gap more than four times smaller than his own pole position advantage. Yet remarkably, that nail-biting margin was still not enough to break into Formula 1's all-time top 10 closest finishes.
According to F1's in-house data team, Russell's Baku victory falls 0.014s and one position shy of squeaking into the top 10, with a handful of historic races decided by a mere fraction of a car length. Here is the definitive ranking of the closest Grand Prix finishes ever recorded.
10. 2002 Austrian Grand Prix – 0.182s
Ferrari dominated the 2002 season, but the sixth round of the year produced one of the most controversial team-orders calls in history. Rubens Barrichello was instructed to allow Michael Schumacher through for the win, complying exiting the final corner — only for a hesitant Schumacher to slow in response, the pair crawling over the line split by 0.182s. A farcical podium ceremony followed, with Schumacher insisting Barrichello stand on the top step as the Brazilian was handed the winner's trophy. Fines followed.
9. 2023 Australian Grand Prix – 0.179s
Australia's rain-affected 2023 race was a messy encounter amid a record number of red flags and several standing starts. The final restart triggered more carnage, and with the signal for a rolling restart, drivers were greeted by the chequered flag. Max Verstappen crossed the line followed by Lewis Hamilton with overtaking prohibited — the notional 0.179s gap far from indicative of a closely fought contest, as Verstappen had been 10 seconds up the road until the late melees.
8. 2000 Canadian Grand Prix – 0.174s
A second appearance on the list for Schumacher and Barrichello (and, spoiler alert: not their last). Schumacher led in treacherous drying conditions, but a brake problem in the closing stages made reaching the flag a priority. With breathing room over the field, he backed off across the last laps — going almost four seconds slower on the final lap — while Barrichello, still chasing his maiden win, dutifully followed him home in second.
7. 1961 French Grand Prix – 0.1s
In the early 1960s timing data only went down to one decimal place, so that was what split Giancarlo Baghetti and Dan Gurney after 52 laps around Reims' high-speed, five-corner roads. Baghetti out-dragged Gurney to the line, becoming only the second driver after Nino Farina — who won the inaugural Grand Prix — to take victory on his debut.
6. 1954 French Grand Prix – 0.1s
Mercedes' first Formula 1 foray lasted just 12 Grands Prix in the 1950s but yielded nine wins. The first came on their debut at Reims once the W196 was ready for action, its streamlined bodywork fitted for the high-speed straights. Mercedes dominated, team orders were imposed, and the great Juan Manuel Fangio led Karl Kling for a 1-2 — the only two drivers to finish on the lead lap.
5. 1969 Italian Grand Prix – 0.08s
The first of two Monza appearances, unsurprising for a high-speed track renowned for its slipstream battles. Four drivers fought for the lead, with Jean-Pierre Beltoise grabbing the inside line into Parabolica on the last lap. But Jackie Stewart got the cutback and overhauled him, while Jochen Rindt shadowed Stewart to finish just 0.08s behind. Beltoise took third as the top four flashed past separated by just 0.019s.
4. 1982 Austrian Grand Prix – 0.05s
Alain Prost held an advantage of almost half a minute at the Osterreichring until his Renault met a fiery, smoky demise with five laps remaining. That left Elio de Angelis and Keke Rosberg chasing their first wins. De Angelis began the final lap 1.6s clear, but Rosberg's monster last lap drew him alongside as they hurtled down the start/finish straight. De Angelis held on — but only by half a car's length.
3. 1986 Spanish Grand Prix – 0.014s
Spain returned to the calendar after a five-year absence with a first appearance at Jerez. Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna put on a classic, with Senna moving ahead after Mansell pitted for fresh tyres. Across the final laps Mansell surged to the rear of Senna's Lotus, got a great exit from the final hairpin and ducked out of the slipstream — but Senna held on by just 0.014s.
2. 2002 United States Grand Prix – 0.011s
By the time F1 arrived at the Brickyard, Schumacher had long since wrapped up his fifth Drivers' title. Schumacher controlled the race but slowed on the last lap to stage a side-by-side finish, with the drivers pointing at each other before it was judged that Barrichello had nosed ahead by 0.011s. There was speculation it was payback for the Austrian saga earlier in the year, though Schumacher only claimed he was trying to engineer a dead heat.
1. 1971 Italian Grand Prix – 0.01s
Monza's 1971 race was the last before two chicanes were introduced to tame speeds, and the old layout signed off with a humdinger. Five cars ran line astern across the final lap, scrapping fiercely to Parabolica, and it was Peter Gethin who emerged in front. Ronnie Peterson challenged to the line and they crossed side-by-side, but by a hair's breadth Gethin triumphed. Francois Cevert was third at 0.09s, Mike Hailwood fourth at 0.18s, and Howard Ganley a comparatively whopping 0.61s back in fifth.
Russell's Baku triumph, meanwhile, sits among the closest winning margins in F1 history — celebrated all the more for a Mercedes driver who saw off Verstappen in a thriller proving the reset era has lost none of its edge.