Verstappen’s own strategy call key to Baku triumph

Max Verstappen’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory didn’t just come from raw speed – it also came from a bold call on tyres that he himself pushed Red Bull to adopt.

While most of Verstappen’s rivals opted to launch their race on Pirelli’s medium rubber, the Dutchman – along with Mercedes’ George Russell – went against the grain, choosing a hard tyre strategy that would give him endurance during his first stint.

The move risked a sluggish start but would position him to capitalize on a potential Safety Car period. Red Bull team boss Laurent Mekies admitted the decision was largely down to his driver’s persuasion.

“You know, Max pushed us for that,” Mekies confessed. “Honestly, we knew it was not so much about, you know, knowing which tyres is better than the others.

“You have seen yesterday, six or seven red flags in qualifying. So we knew it was a race that could be dictated by when the Safety Car would come.

“We sort of knew that, you know, we would drive to when the Safety Car comes. We tried to stay out.

“Max has been pushing a lot to say, well, you know what, if we drive to wait for the Safety Car to come, then we want that tyre.

“It comes with other risk. He was very convincing in saying that he will deal with the other risks.”

While no Safety Car materialized beyond the opening four-lap neutralization, Verstappen managed his tyres flawlessly, converting pole into a lights-to-flag victory, underlining his dominance on a weekend full of potential hazards.

Signs of Real Progress

For Red Bull, the win marked back-to-back triumphs after Monza and offered evidence that the team is steadily regaining its edge under Mekies’ stewardship. The Frenchman pointed to Verstappen’s qualifying performance in Baku as a sign that things were clicking.

“I really want to say, you know, as you say, such a masterclass in qualifying yesterday, you know, a huge gap in super difficult conditions with the wind blowing at 60 km/h,” he said. “And today, you know, it was difficult to estimate the race pace.”

The Sunday showing, he explained, gave the whole organisation a lift.

“Nobody really did some long run on Fridays,” he said. “He just pulled away, lap after lap. So, we knew after Monza, you know, Monza is so specific, it was not so clear, you know, how much of the progress we could bring on a track like here.

“So, it’s good feedback for everyone that has been pushing so hard in Milton Keynes to get the car faster.

“We know Baku is also very specific with only slow-speed corners, but certainly, you know, it’s two tracks in a row where at least we have the pace to fight.”

Eyes on the Championship, Step by Step

Verstappen’s triumph has reduced his gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri to 69 points, but Mekies urged caution when it comes to title talk.

“We did say quite a few races ago, you know, we want to take it race by race. We don’t want to leave any stones unturned when it comes to the 2025 campaign,” he said.

“We know it didn’t start the way we all wanted, but ultimately, everybody has been pushing so hard to step by step bring that car back into competitiveness.

“That’s how we will use the next races. Of course, championships for the manufacturers are open now for second and third place.”

Beyond the points race, Mekies sees the resurgence as also laying vital groundwork for next year.

“But even more important than that, we fight to get more and more learning, to unlock more and more understanding because it’s things that we will carry to next year, even if the regulations are completely different.”

Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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