George Russell’s dominant performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix vaulted him back into the Drivers’ Championship mix, as he now trails teammate Kimi Antonelli by 66 points with eight race weekends remaining on the schedule, at least for the moment.
The Mercedes driver also joined an exclusive list, as he completed a Formula 1 “Grand Slam” at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
What is that feat, and who is on that list?
Let’s dive in.
What is an F1 Grand Slam?
While the MLB Playoffs are around the corner, sparking images of a grand slam in baseball, a grand slam in F1 is a little different.
For a driver to accomplish a grand slam at a given race, the driver will: Take pole position during qualifying, lead every lap of the race, set the fastest lap of the race, and win the race.
During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this season, Russell accomplished all four of those feats, securing the first Grand Slam of his career. He took pole position on Friday during qualifying, led every lap during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 49 — with an average speed of 205.981 miles per hour — and won the race by one-tenth of a second over Max Verstappen.
This accomplishment is often referred to by the French term “Grand Chelem.”
Who has accomplished an F1 Grand Slam?
With his Grand Slam in Azerbaijan, Russell became the 29th driver in F1 history to accomplish the feat.
He is also one of seven active drivers with a Grand Slam on his resume.
Here are the 29 drivers with at least one Grand Slam, starting with the legendary Jim Clark whose eight still tops all drivers over F1’s storied history:
Along with Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, and Lewis Hamilton are the active drivers with a career Grand Slam.
Source: SB Nation
