Red Bull Racing achieves strong podium finish in Azerbaijan
Milton Keynes’ own Red Bull Racing celebrated a significant achievement at the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with both its drivers securing podium places. Max Verstappen finished in second position, while Isack Hadjar secured third place, delivering a double podium for the team.
The race saw the two Red Bull cars employ different tyre strategies from the outset. Verstappen started on the softer compound tyres, aiming for an aggressive early pace. In contrast, Hadjar began the race on medium compound tyres, anticipating a longer first stint.
Verstappen had experienced engine issues during qualifying the previous day. Ahead of the Grand Prix, new engine components were fitted to his car to address these concerns.
Race unfolds with strategic moves and challenges
The opening laps presented contrasting fortunes for the Red Bull drivers. Hadjar was initially overtaken by Lando Norris of McLaren, dropping to fifth place. Verstappen, however, made a strong start, moving up one position to seventh and immediately beginning to close the gap to the leading cars.
By the second lap, Verstappen had advanced to sixth place, overtaking long-time rival Lewis Hamilton. Hadjar regained fourth place from Norris at the first corner on lap three. Verstappen followed his teammate’s progress, also passing Norris shortly after.
Hadjar then set his sights on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. He attempted an overtake on the main straight but could not complete it into the first corner. However, he successfully passed Leclerc a few turns later, moving into a podium position by lap four.
Verstappen mirrored his teammate’s strategy, passing Leclerc into the first corner at the start of lap five. Verstappen then moved past Hadjar on the main straight entering lap seven. Hadjar was cautioned by his team not to impede his teammate, as the team aimed for a strong collective performance.
The two Red Bull cars remained in close proximity, working together to pursue McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who was running in second place. The challenge in closing the gap was attributed to Piastri’s strong performance in the middle sector of the circuit, allowing him to maintain a defensive gap down the straights.
Despite Verstappen’s efforts to gain on Piastri on the straights, the McLaren driver held his position, keeping the Red Bulls in third and fourth place respectively.
Safety car periods and strategic pit stops
With progress stalled, Hadjar began to challenge Verstappen for position on lap 27, coming close to an overtake into the first corner. Following communication with his race engineer, he maintained his position behind Verstappen.
A pivotal moment occurred when Williams driver Alex Albon made contact with the barriers, bringing out the safety car. Both Red Bull cars took the opportunity to pit for a double-stack pit stop. This efficient stop maintained their positions on track.
During the pit stop, Verstappen was fitted with new soft tyres, while Hadjar received new medium tyres. Before the safety car period concluded, engineers noted vibrations from Hadjar’s gearbox, which the driver confirmed he could feel.
The restart proved successful for Verstappen, who moved into second place ahead of Piastri by taking an inside line. Hadjar remained close to Piastri before a second safety car was deployed following a multi-car incident at the first corner.
On the second restart, Hadjar attempted to overtake Piastri into the first corner but was unsuccessful, remaining in fourth place. However, a significant lock-up by Piastri allowed Hadjar to pass him on the following lap, securing him third place and a chance at his third career podium.
With Verstappen clear of Piastri, who subsequently dropped out of the points, the Dutchman began to close in on race leader George Russell. The gap between them remained within one second. Hadjar, meanwhile, fell back from the leading pair, with the gap extending to seven seconds with four laps remaining.
Ultimately, the gap between Verstappen and Russell was too substantial for Red Bull to mount a challenge for the lead. Russell, starting from pole position, secured the victory for Mercedes. A late yellow flag for Valtteri Bottas’ incident brought Verstappen and Russell closer together in the final moments.
Hadjar successfully maintained his third-place position, securing his second career podium with Red Bull Racing and marking the team’s first double podium since the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix.
This story is based on reporting by MKFM. Read the original coverage: MKFM