Off the back of two consecutive victories in Formula 1’s Virtual Grand Prix series, George Russell extended his present winning streak when the esports competition visited the digital and fearsome streets of Baku. 

As a recent addition to the F1 calendar – making its season debut in 2016 – the Baku City Circuit is a true test of precision and focus for drivers, with its 20 turns and 6.003-kilometre-long outline creating a challenging and unforgiving racing experience.

Come qualifying for the seventh round of the competition, George secured pole position after posting a 1:36.869s run at the close of the classification session, beating Red Bull Racing’s Alexander Albon to the top spot by 0.254s.

With a strong getaway from the front row, George maintained his lead into the first corner when the race began and by setting the fastest lap from the outset, opened up an immediate lead of almost one second.

By lap 3, George had broken out of DRS range and continued to gap Albon when running on the Soft-compound tyres, swapping onto the Mediums at the end of lap 7 after establishing an advantage of five seconds.

With Albon boxing one lap earlier after attempting to perform the undercut, George’s extended first stint paid off when the Briton re-joined the race in first place from Williams Racing team-mate Nicholas Latifi. 

To see the chequered flag as the victor, George would have to complete a 19-lap stint on the Mediums, with the mid-range compound degrading rapidly as the race wound down to its conclusion. 

Facing an impending threat from Albon who had opted for the more durable Hards, George managed his tyres carefully to be the first driver to take the chequered flag at the end of lap 26, leading every tour to take a third consecutive victory, 6.857s ahead of the runner-up who was unable to bridge the gap.

Highlights from the Virtual Azerbaijan GP are available below:

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Video Courtesy of Formula 1