Verstappen dominates the Azerbaijan GP and claims his fourth win of 2025
After securing pole position on Saturday, Max Verstappen completed the job in style by cruising to victory on Sunday in Baku, delivering an absolutely dominant performance that earned him his fourth win of the season. Joining him on the podium were George Russell and a brilliant Carlos Sainz, who fended off Kimi Antonelli in the closing stages. It was a tough afternoon for McLaren: Lando Norris could only manage seventh, just ahead of the two Ferraris, while Oscar Piastri’s race ended immediately with a crash on the opening lap.
Qualifying sets the tone for Verstappen’s victory
Much of the weekend was already decided on Saturday. Verstappen’s stunning qualifying lap that secured pole position gave him the opportunity to manage Sunday’s race without taking risks. Red Bull opted for an unusual choice by starting him on the hard tyres from pole, a strategy designed to offer greater flexibility in the final phase of the Grand Prix. Thanks to the short distance between the starting grid and Turn 1 in Baku, the team took the calculated risk knowing Verstappen had a clear pace advantage over the Williams cars and the rest of the grid behind him.
The strategy paid off, though in truth Verstappen’s victory never looked in danger. Lap after lap, he strung together a series of record times, balancing perfectly between building a safe margin and carefully managing tyre life. With this triumph, Verstappen sealed his fourth victory of the 2025 season, adding Baku to his wins in Suzuka, Imola, and Monza.
Russell and Sainz complete the podium
George Russell secured second place, executing a smart strategy by running long on the hard compound during his opening stint. That decision allowed him to jump ahead of Carlos Sainz after the pit stops. Mercedes also played a key role by calling Kimi Antonelli in earlier for a switch to medium tyres, which triggered a chain reaction and gave Russell the chance to show his full potential on the more durable compound.
Finishing third was an excellent Carlos Sainz, who delivered a near-flawless race for Williams. On a track that suited the FW47, the Spaniard maximised the second-place start he had achieved in qualifying. Historically, Williams had struggled to unlock their car’s full performance over one lap, but in Baku that strength in race trim proved decisive. Sainz controlled the early stages, holding off Liam Lawson and both Mercedes cars, before Russell managed to overhaul him on strategy. In the closing laps, Sainz held his ground impressively against Antonelli, never allowing the young Italian within DRS range.
For Sainz and Williams, the podium felt like redemption after missing out in dramatic fashion last year in the final laps. It also marked the team’s first top-three finish since 2021, when they benefited from the rain-shortened Belgian GP at Spa.
Lawson wins RB battle, Tsunoda just behind
Liam Lawson crossed the line in fifth place, scoring an important result at a crucial point in his season. The New Zealander also got the better of teammate Yuki Tsunoda in their head-to-head battle, overtaking him decisively just after the Japanese driver’s pit stop. While Tsunoda showed strong pace and made the right call to start on the hard tyres, the timing of his stop left him vulnerable on cold tyres, and Lawson seized the chance. From then on, Tsunoda could not recover the position and instead had to drive defensively, resisting pressure from a group of cars behind him. Lawson, meanwhile, managed his traction perfectly through the final corner to secure fifth place.
Norris only seventh, Piastri crashes on lap one
It was a muted performance from Lando Norris, who finished seventh after spending much of the afternoon stuck in traffic. The poor qualifying session on Saturday left him with too much to do, and he could not capitalise on Oscar Piastri’s costly retirement. The Australian suffered a disastrous race: after making a false start and dropping to the back, he locked up at Turn 5 on the opening lap and crashed into the barriers, ending his race on the spot.
Ferrari finish quietly, Hadjar takes final point
Behind Norris came the two Ferrari SF-25 cars of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who ran different strategies but ultimately could not make progress. The Briton started on the hard tyres to extend his first stint, while his Maranello teammate began on mediums and pitted early after requesting the team evaluate the situation, as he struggled to hold off Norris. For Ferrari it was a lacklustre afternoon, with little action and no significant gains, compounded by losing ground in the constructors’ championship battle to both Mercedes and Red Bull.
The final point went to Isack Hadjar, who rounded out the top ten. Just outside the points was Gabriel Bortoleto in 11th, finishing almost half a minute away from the top ten.
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