Verstappen clinches victory at Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Commanding performance in Baku

Verstappen delivered a flawless performance, leading the race from start to finish and finishing nearly 15 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, Mercedes driver George Russell. This victory marks Verstappen’s fourth win of the season and 67th career win, further cementing his place among F1's greats.

Shifting dynamics in the standings

Despite Verstappen’s win, he remains third in the championship standings with 255 points, behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, who has 299 points. Norris managed to climb back to seventh place after a challenging start, capitalizing on early drama involving his teammate.

Early drama for mcLaren

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who led the race momentarily on the first lap, suffered a costly mistake by hitting the wall. This misstep allowed Verstappen to extend his lead and ultimately control the race pace. Piastri’s setback also enabled Norris to narrow the gap in the standings.

Russell and Sainz round out the podium

George Russell of Mercedes secured a strong second-place finish, while Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams and starting from second on the grid, rounded out the podium in third place.

Verstappen: “The weekend was fantastic”

Reflecting on his performance, Verstappen praised the team and the car, saying: “The weekend was fantastic. To win here is fantastic for us. The car was fantastic on both types of tires. The road was open to us the whole time…”

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory reaffirms Verstappen’s threat in the championship race, with the season heading into its final stretch.