Max Verstappen delivered a flawless performance to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while championship leader Oscar Piastri's race came to an early end after a first-lap crash. The dramatic race weekend in Baku followed an equally eventful qualifying session that set a new Formula 1 record for red flags [1].
The weekend's action began with McLaren showing promising pace as Lando Norris topped both FP1 and FP3 sessions [2]. However, qualifying proved to be a chaotic affair with Verstappen ultimately securing pole position ahead of a surprising Carlos Sainz [3].
The race itself saw immediate drama as championship leader Piastri, who had gone two years without a solo accident, crashed out on the opening lap [4]. The Australian's error marked a significant setback in his championship campaign, especially considering his nearly flawless performance throughout the 2025 season up to this point [5].
Verstappen took full advantage of the situation, delivering a dominant performance that demonstrated his exceptional race craft [6]. Despite Pirelli bringing softer tire compounds to this year's race in an attempt to create more strategic variety, the shaken-up grid resulted in somewhat predictable strategy choices among the teams [7].
- https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/six-shunts-how-azerbaijan-gp-qualifying-broke-a-red-flag-f1-record/10761085/
- https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-azerbaijan-gp-lando-norris-tops-windy-fp3-by-two-tenths/10760872/
- https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-azerbaijan-gp-verstappen-denies-sainz-pole-in-chaotic-qualifying-as-piastri-crashes/10760980/
- Verstappen Dominates as Clumsy Piastri Crashes in Azerbaijan GP
- https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-azerbaijan-gp-five-quick-takeaways/10761265/
- https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-azerbaijan-gp-verstappen-dominates-norris-fails-to-capitalise-on-piastri-crash/10761291/
- https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/strategy-corner-shaken-up-grid-has-a-perverse-effect-on-f1-azerbaijan-gp/10761236/
