Verstappen claims dominant Azerbaijan win over Russell and Sainz after Piastri crashes out

Max Verstappen delivered a flawless lights-to-flag victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, tightening the championship narrative and fueling fresh debate over whether he has re-emerged as a title contender. While the Dutchman cruised to his second straight win, McLaren endured a nightmare weekend that left both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri vulnerable — and perhaps, for the first time all season, feeling the pressure.

From the moment the lights went out, Verstappen was untouchable. Starting from pole on hard tyres, he held off Williams’ Carlos Sainz through the first corner and immediately built a gap. Over 51 laps, he never relinquished the lead, managing his tyres with precision and finishing more than 14 seconds clear of Mercedes’ George Russell in second.

Behind him, Sainz scored a historic first podium for Williams in third, fending off a late charge from Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli. Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson secured a career-best fifth after a tense duel with teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who claimed sixth for Red Bull in his strongest performance yet.

Norris could do no better than seventh, stuck in traffic for most of the afternoon and losing crucial ground after a slow pit stop. Ferrari salvaged eighth and ninth with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, while rookie Isack Hadjar completed the points in tenth.

Piastri’s Nightmare

Championship leader Piastri never got going. The Australian jumped the lights at the start, dropped to last after triggering anti-stall, and then ended his race in the Turn 5 barriers within minutes. It was his first retirement of the season and the first real blemish in what had been a remarkably consistent campaign.

The incident offered Norris a golden chance to close the gap, but he failed to capitalize. Despite gaining six points on his teammate, Norris looked dejected afterward, admitting his pace was lacking and brushing off suggestions that he had squandered a major opportunity.

Verstappen’s Momentum

For Verstappen, the win marked back-to-back triumphs following Monza and underlined Red Bull’s mid-season resurgence. The car’s upgraded floor has transformed its low-downforce performance, and Verstappen has extracted maximum value, taking pole, fastest lap, and the win in Baku.

“This weekend has been incredible for us,” he said. “We managed the race exactly how we wanted to. It’s never easy here with the wind and the walls so close, but the car felt great on both stints.”

The victory trimmed Piastri’s lead to 69 points with seven races remaining, while Norris now sits 44 ahead of Verstappen. On paper, the gap remains daunting, but Verstappen’s form has revived a narrative few expected just weeks ago: could he still be a factor in the title race?

McLaren Feeling the Heat

McLaren had hoped to seal the Constructors’ Championship in Baku, which would have been the earliest in F1 history. Instead, the weekend highlighted cracks. Piastri’s mistakes, Norris’ muted pace, and another botched pit stop painted a picture of a team rattled under pressure.

Team boss Andrea Stella admitted Verstappen was now a genuine threat. “Definitely, Max is in contention for the Drivers’ Championship,” he said, doubling down on comments he had made even before Sunday’s win. For rivals and fans alike, the mere suggestion that Verstappen could overturn a 94-point deficit speaks volumes about his aura.

McLaren’s struggles only magnify that perception. Piastri’s calm response to his crash may reassure the team, but his mistakes were uncharacteristic. Norris, meanwhile, once again faced questions about his ability to seize big opportunities.

Verstappen the Wild Card

Verstappen himself remains cautious. “Seven races to go and 69 points — it’s a lot,” he said post-race. “Everything needs to go perfect from my side, and then I need a bit of luck from theirs. It’s still very tough.”

Yet history suggests otherwise. The Dutchman has gone on long win streaks before, including his record-breaking 10-race run in 2023. With Red Bull’s form surging and McLaren wobbling, the prospect of Verstappen taking chunks out of the gap in the next few rounds cannot be ignored.

Veterans like Fernando Alonso have described him as “on another level,” and Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko hinted that Singapore would be the true benchmark. “If we are competitive there, then maybe we can start dreaming,” he said.

Blood in the Water

The mood in the paddock after Baku was clear: Verstappen is circling. His clinical win contrasted sharply with McLaren’s sloppiness, and even if the math still favors Piastri and Norris, the psychological balance has shifted.

McLaren has looked internally fragile before — from near collisions between its drivers in Austria and Hungary to pit-stop chaos in Monza. Now, Verstappen’s presence has turned those fissures into a looming threat. As one observer noted, it’s like the “Jaws” theme playing outside the McLaren garage — faint at first, but getting louder.

The Constructors’ title may still be a formality, but the Drivers’ crown is suddenly less secure. If Verstappen finds victory in Singapore — one of the few venues he has yet to conquer — the conversation about a late-season title charge will grow deafening.

For now, McLaren still holds the cards. But with seven races left, a revitalized Verstappen and an increasingly shaky rival team could set up a dramatic run-in. What looked like a two-horse race between Norris and Piastri may now have a shark in the water.