Max Verstappen secured a decisive win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix by adopting an unconventional approach, applying what many believed was a risky tyre strategy at the start of the race. The reigning world champion’s strategic choices in Baku, a venue known for frequent safety cars, played a central role in his success, with Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies crediting Verstappen’s instincts for guiding key decisions.
Verstappen’s Unique Tyre Choice Paid Off
Unlike his main rivals who began the race on medium tyres, Verstappen was the only driver among the top four to start on hard tyres. This decision was largely influenced by Verstappen himself, reflecting his calculated anticipation of how the race might unfold. Mekies explained that Baku’s pattern of repeated safety cars heavily influenced Verstappen’s mindset, prompting him to wait patiently rather than pit early and risk losing track position.
“We looked at Saturday’s qualifying session with the six or seven red flags,”
Mekies noted.
“Obviously, here there is a long history of many, many safety cars. Max had a very clear idea that it will become a race where you just drive, waiting for the safety car. You try to wait as long as you can until the safety car comes, because otherwise somebody is going to have a cheap pitstop and it’s not going to be you.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Lessons From Monza Influenced Strategy in Baku
Verstappen’s approach was partially informed by experiences at the Italian Grand Prix earlier in the season, where tyre wear and safety car timing presented challenges. Mekies recalled that at Monza, extending tyre life had nearly backfired due to a late-race need for a pit stop and an absence of safety car intervention.
“In some respects Monza was a bit like that as well, where we all tried to extend. At some stage in Monza, if you recall, we had to pit because our tyres were pretty much gone. At that time we have been exposed for a few laps to a safety car.”
The specific concern was that competitors who stayed out longer, such as Lando Norris, stood to gain if a safety car appeared, potentially leading to an advantage. Mekies emphasized how Verstappen pushed hard to avoid this vulnerability in Baku, even though it added an element of risk.
“Max has pushed a lot for that,”
Mekies explained.
“It doesn’t come for free. It doesn’t come for free at the race start. And it doesn’t come for free because it’s exposing you during other parts of the race. If a safety car happens on lap 10, you will not find that funny if you have started on hard.”
Mekies further noted the strategic difficulties involved: those who start on mediums can switch later to hards more straightforwardly, while the reverse—running on mediums to the end after starting on hards—is often more complicated. However, the extended durability of Pirelli’s C5 tyre helped make Verstappen’s approach feasible.
“He had very, very clear in his mind that he wanted to exploit the pace of the car and disappear with the hards, and he has done exactly that,”
Mekies said.
Comparing Red Bull’s Race Pace With Rivals
Despite Verstappen’s strong performance, Mekies was cautious about overstating Red Bull’s pace advantage in Baku. He indicated that the margin over competitors like George Russell was relatively small, suggesting that the win owed more to strategy and tyre management than outright speed alone.
“Compared to George Russell, I think it’s relatively possible to read,”
Mekies remarked.
“I think the gap was probably a couple of tenths [per lap], but nothing more than that. In fairness, also in qualifying – maybe not Q3, but qualifying in general – they were no more than two tenths away.”
The performance of McLaren, referred to as the “papaya team,” remained difficult to evaluate fully after a chaotic weekend. Mekies pointed out that their lack of clear running in free air during the race made it hard to assess their true pace, despite flashes of speed earlier in practice sessions.
“McLaren is much more difficult to read, because they were not finding any free air,”
he said.
“We have seen them extremely fast at some point on Friday morning, Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. We’ll probably never know what the real pace is in the race, but there’s certainly no room to relax for us.”
Significance and What Lies Ahead
Max Verstappen’s successful deployment of a bold tyre strategy in Baku reflects his calculated risk-taking and keen race intelligence, which often shape outcomes beyond raw speed alone. His insistence on starting on hard tyres, despite potential pitfalls, enabled him to dominate a race where safety car deployments frequently disrupt strategies.
For Red Bull, this victory confirms the importance of listening to the champion’s insights and adapting strategy to the idiosyncrasies of circuits known for unpredictability. As the Formula 1 season continues, teams will likely reevaluate their approaches for tracks with similar conditions, closely watching Verstappen’s ability to marry pace with tactical choices.
