The streets of Baku delivered their usual dose of chaos, and this time Max Verstappen turned it into perfection. The Red Bull driver dominated the weekend with a Grand Slam: pole, fastest lap, every lap led, and the race win. It was the sixth such sweep of his career, tying Lewis Hamilton for the second-most in Formula 1 history. Verstappen was untouchable once the lights went out.
Mercedes finally showed signs of life. George Russell brought home second place with a composed drive, while Kimi Antonelli backed it up in fourth, giving the team one of their strongest weekends of the year. They still lacked the outright pace to challenge Verstappen, but they looked like contenders again.
The breakthrough story belonged to Williams. Carlos Sainz delivered the team’s first podium since 2021, finishing third after a clean and clever run that rewarded the team’s steady rebuild. It was a huge milestone, a reminder that their climb is starting to bear fruit. Alex Albon just missed out on points, but Sainz’s podium was enough to make the headlines.
Further back, Liam Lawson scored his best-ever Formula 1 finish with fifth, proving his growth at Racing Bulls. Isack Hadjar also picked up a point in tenth, making it one of the team’s most productive weekends in years. Red Bull’s junior squad finally looked like more than just a training ground.
Ferrari had a weekend to forget. Lewis Hamilton salvaged eighth and Charles Leclerc ninth, but both cars lacked pace and looked uncomfortable from the start. For a team chasing McLaren in the standings, the gap only grew wider.
McLaren had little to celebrate as well. Oscar Piastri’s streak of 44 consecutive race finishes ended with a first-lap retirement, while Lando Norris managed only seventh after a pretty disappointing Sunday for the team’s standards.
Yuki Tsunoda collected valuable points for Red Bull in sixth, but all eyes were on Verstappen at the front. Baku gave him the kind of weekend champions carve out of nothing: dominant, ruthless, and decisive.
Verstappen’s dominance was somewhat expected. Sainz on the podium for Williams was not. Lawson delivering his best finish yet was somewhere in between. That mix is what makes this season unpredictable: the title fight still tilts toward Piastri, but Norris and Verstappen are not out of the equation. For the midfield teams however, there is still much at stake.
Mercedes called Baku a turning point. The problem is, they have said that before. If they fade back into fifths and sevenths next time out, this “revival” will look like another false dawn. And if Williams can turn one podium into a habit, the grid might need to recalibrate what “midfield” even means.
For all the noise about progress, the only thing that matters now is who can back it up. Verstappen already has. Everyone else is running out of chances.
Written by Krystal.
Edited by Alexandra.
Featured image credit: formulaonehistory.com
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