George Russell narrowly beat Max Verstappen in a thrilling finale to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - by just 0.196s.
Russell was on course for a grand chelem, but had to fend off Verstappen in the closing stages as he was hunted by the Dutchman in the closing laps after a safety car restart.
The Mercedes driver did hold off Verstappen to record that grand chelem, and in the process, recorded the 10th closest green-flag finish in all 1,164 world championship grands prix to date, including Azerbaijan 2026.
The closest ever finish was at pre-chicane Monza in 1971 when Peter Gethin beat Ronnie Peterson by 0.010s, although the times were measured to hundredths of a second, whereas the 0.011s between Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher at the 2002 United States GP was to thousandths.
One of the most famous wins in F1 history is also in the top 10, as Giancarlo Baghetti won the 1961 French GP by 0.100s from Dan Gurney.
Giuseppe Farina's victory in the very first world championship grand prix aside, Baghetti's win, his only in a world championship grand prix, is the only occasion where a driver has won on his debut.
Below, check out the top 10 closest green-flag finishes in F1 history!
Closest-ever green flag finishes in F1 grands prix
| Race | Winner | Runner-up | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy 1971 | Peter Gethin | Ronnie Peterson | 0.010s |
| United States 2002 | Rubens Barrichello | Michael Schumacher | 0.011s |
| Spain 1986 | Ayrton Senna | Nigel Mansell | 0.014s |
| Austria 1982 | Eilo de Angelis | Keke Rosberg | 0.050s |
| Italy 1969 | Jackie Stewart | Jochen Rindt | 0.080s |
| France 1954 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Karl Kling | 0.100s |
| France 1961 | Giancarlo Baghetti | Dan Gurney | 0.100s |
| Canada 2000 | Michael Schumacher | Rubens Barrichello | 0.174s |
| Austria 2002 | Michael Schumacher | Rubens Barrichello | 0.182s |
| Azerbaijan 2026 | George Russell | Max Verstappen | 0.196s |
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