The Azerbaijan Grand Prix concluded with Max Verstappen taking victory ahead of George Russell and Carlos Sainz. The Dutchman once again demonstrated his strength, aided in part by the track conditions. In our view, however, the best performance came from George Russell, who, in a race characterized by very few overtakes, secured second place, finishing 14.6 seconds behind the leader.
Our focus here, however, is primarily on tires and race strategies. To begin, let’s revisit what we predicted earlier in the day. Pirelli was confident the race would be a one-stop event, and ultimately, the Italian tire manufacturer was proven correct.
Initially, we were less convinced, influenced by last year’s outcomes. In 2024, teams favored the C4 and C3 compounds over the C5, with the C4 barely lasting 20 laps during the race. This year, however, the scenario was completely different.
Despite Pirelli providing an even softer compound for this GP—the C6—teams were still able to complete the race with just one stop. The Medium C5 stood out, demonstrating remarkable consistency, allowing drivers like Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson to use it for stints covering more than half of the race distance.
Strategy recap
Before proceeding, let’s briefly summarize the strategies employed. Race winner Max Verstappen ran a Hard-Medium strategy, as did George Russell, Yuki Tsunoda, Lewis Hamilton, Gabriel Bortoleto, Oliver Bearman, Nico Hülkenberg, and Pierre Gasly. Drivers on a Medium-Hard strategy included Carlos Sainz (who finished on the podium), Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, and Franco Colapinto. The only alternative strategies were seen with Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon, who pitted under the Safety Car, ending up at the back of the grid. Albon opted for an M-M-H sequence, while Ocon took advantage of the SC to make two consecutive stops (H-M-H), completing the race on a single compound. Oscar Piastri was the sole retirement.
A race to learn from
Albon delivered a strong performance, climbing as high as P11 before dropping to P13 due to a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Colapinto. Ocon finished P14, demonstrating solid race pace on the C4.
The C4 proved more durable than expected. Our mistake was underestimating the impact of the relatively low track temperatures throughout the race. The mostly cloudy skies and asphalt temperatures around 24–26°C allowed the C4 to perform exceptionally well while remaining durable over long stints. Ocon completed 49 laps on it, while Norris and Stroll stayed competitive on Medium C5s for 37 laps. The lesson is clear: never underestimate the effect of track temperatures.
Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola also noted after the GP: “On this track, a single stop has almost always been the preferred choice, and this year’s race was no exception, even though we brought softer compounds compared to 2024. Lower-than-normal temperatures helped teams and drivers manage tire degradation, especially at the rear. The race was therefore quite straightforward. Medium and Hard compounds were very close in terms of performance and degradation. The C4 was the most used tire (598 laps, 61.84%), while the Soft remained unused. Rain overnight reset some of the track’s grip, leading to noticeable evolution during the race.” One prediction we got right: the Soft never came into play, which, frankly, was expected given the C6’s weaker consistency.
Strategy highlights and Russell’s standout performance
Unfortunately, the race offered few overtakes or dramatic moments. Despite the long straight, the top-10 drivers generally maintained their grid positions with minor reshuffling. The only surprises involved Oscar Piastri, who made a false start and later hit the wall, and Lewis Hamilton, who reached the points thanks to errors by the championship leader and Alonso’s jump start. Hamilton managed to overtake Leclerc late in the race, aided by using Medium tires.
In our opinion, the most impressive drive came from George Russell, who made excellent use of the Hard tires during the opening stint, moving from P5 to P2, all while recovering from a debilitating viral infection. This race may have been flat in excitement, but George Russell’s strategic execution stood out as a highlight.
