Max Verstappen Returns to Form With a Double Red Bull Podium: “I Had Fun. It Was Just Pushing Flat Out”
· Yahoo Sports
If you ever need a masterclass in raw race pace, just watch Max Verstappen’s onboard footage from Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Starting down in P8 on a street circuit notorious for traffic jams and carbon-fiber confetti, the Red Bull driver carved his way through the field to finish just 0.196 seconds away from the top step of the podium.
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While George Russell ultimately took the checkered flag for Mercedes in the unusual Saturday afternoon schedule, Verstappen’s relentless pursuit made the final stint an absolute thriller.
“We had a very strong race,” Verstappen summarized following his P2 finish. But as with all things Formula 1, the real story was unfolding in the pit-wall strategy.
The Medium Tyre Miscalculation
Verstappen’s charge to the front was initially handicapped by a tyre strategy that simply refused to switch on around the 6.003-kilometer Baku City Circuit.
“For most of the race we were on the wrong tyre because the medium unfortunately didn’t work like I think a lot of people expected,” Verstappen explained.
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – SEPTEMBER 25: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford Powertrains on track during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 25, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202609250462 // Usage for editorial use only //However, once the Red Bull mechanics bolted on the red-walled soft tyres, the car came alive. The pace differential was instantly apparent, turning the race into a two-horse sprint between Verstappen and Russell.
“Once we swapped to the soft, you could see George and I were pulling away a lot from everyone behind,” Verstappen noted.
A Flat-Out 1-Second Dogfight for Verstappen
For the final stint of the 51-lap race, Verstappen sat squarely in Russell’s mirrors, hovering right on the edge of the DRS activation zone. Rather than managing tires or backing off into dirty air, Verstappen embraced the street-circuit chaos.
“I had fun. It was just pushing flat out,” he said with a smile. “1s behind, 1.1… that was basically the gap the whole stint. So it was good, I enjoyed myself.”
The tension peaked on the final lap following a late-race yellow flag. When the caution lifted, Russell’s Mercedes suffered a brief turbo lag—a glitch that nearly allowed Verstappen to snatch the Saturday victory right at the finish line.
“It got close to the line because I think George had turbo lag out of 15 because of the yellow flags, so that’s why it was that close,” Verstappen clarified, brushing off the chaotic finish. “Realistically, it would have been one second, like the whole stint was.”
Red Bull’s Double Podium
While Verstappen missed out on the win by a fraction of a second, the Saturday race proved to be a massive success for Red Bull Racing overall. His teammate, Isack Hadjar, put in a stellar performance to secure P3, putting two Red Bull drivers on the podium and sending a clear message to the rest of the grid.
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – SEPTEMBER 26: Second placed Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Third placed Isack Hadjar of France and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrate with Champagne on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 26, 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202609260275 // Usage for editorial use only //As for the prospect of securing a race win before the 2026 season wraps up, Verstappen remains characteristically pragmatic.
“We keep trying, and we’ll see if it happens or not,” he concluded.
If Saturday’s flat-out pace in Azerbaijan is any indication, the front-runners should probably start checking their rearview mirrors.