Max Verstappen continued his resurgence in Formula One with a commanding win at Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his second straight triumph of the season.
The four-time world champion started from pole after a turbulent qualifying session and never looked back, pulling away cleanly at the start in Baku and controlling the race from the front.
“This has been an amazing weekend for us. Last race already felt great, but to come here and win again is just fantastic,” Verstappen said afterward. “It felt straightforward today, though driving here is never simple—the wind made the car move around a lot. But overall, I’m really pleased with the performance.” He previously celebrated victory on the Baku City Circuit in 2022.
The Red Bull driver has struggled at times this year compared to his usual dominance, with his Monza win marking his first since mid-May. Back-to-back victories now signal his strongest run of the season.
For championship leader Oscar Piastri, however, it was a disastrous outing. The Australian’s race ended less than halfway through the opening lap when he clipped the wall at turn five. He had already endured a rough qualifying session that left him ninth on the grid and looked unsettled from the start, false-starting before dropping to the back of the pack and eventually crashing out. Forced to retire, he spent the rest of the race trackside.
His misfortune created an opportunity for teammate Lando Norris to close the points gap, but Norris couldn’t capitalize. Starting seventh after his own brush with the wall in qualifying, he never threatened the leaders. A slow pit stop on lap 38 sealed his fate, leaving him in seventh at the checkered flag.
The lackluster results from both drivers also cost McLaren a chance to lock up the constructors’ championship. Mercedes, on the other hand, enjoyed a strong afternoon. George Russell, still recovering from illness, battled through to claim second place, while 19-year-old rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed with a fourth-place finish. Williams celebrated a breakthrough moment as Carlos Sainz secured third, delivering the team’s first podium finish since 2021. The Spaniard described it as the highlight of his career.
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