In a commanding display at the 2025 Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Max Verstappen converted pole position into a lights-to-flag victory, delivering a dominant performance across all 51 laps to claim his fourth win of the season.
The Dutch ace’s triumph at the streets of Baku not only reinforced his reputation for consistency under pressure but also revived hope in his pursuit of the Drivers’ Championship.
Verstappen’s race was largely trouble-free, even as chaos erupted for others. McLaren’s championship leader, Oscar Piastri, crashed out on the first lap in dramatic fashion after jumping the start and locking up into Turn 5—mistakes that left him with no chance to recover.
The incident ended a remarkable streak of 34 consecutive races in which Piastri had scored points and allowed Verstappen to reduce the gap in the standings substantially.
Finishing second was George Russell for Mercedes. Despite being under the weather all weekend, Russell held off pressure and drove with poise to clinch the runner-up spot. Carlos Sainz Jr. completed the podium for Williams, earning their first full-race podium since 2021.
The Spaniard’s result was hailed as one of the brightest moments in his recent career, a reward not only for speed but for belief in the team behind him.
In his post-race interview, Verstappen described the victory as “fantastic,” praising the car’s balance and the team’s efforts. “This weekend has been incredible for us,” he said. “Of course, last weekend was already great, but for us to win here again is just fantastic. I think also in the race, the car was working really well on both of the compounds. We had clean air all of the time and then you could look after your tyres and it was pretty straightforward … I’m incredibly happy with this performance.”
He was also cautious about the broader title fight, pointing out that despite McLaren’s disappointing showing, there remains much work to do. “It’s difficult to say at the moment, but for sure, the last two race weekends have been amazing for us,” he reflected. “Singapore is a completely different challenge again with the high downforce, but we will see what we can do there.”
On fire!!! What an incredible weekend for us pic.twitter.com/RVUgGV3fwD
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) September 21, 2025
Piastri, on the other hand, admitted the error in Baku was entirely on him. “Not my finest moment,” he said after the race, acknowledging that it was a critical misjudgment that cost him dearly early. The crash cut his lead over teammate Lando Norris from 31 points to 25.
Though still ahead in the standings, the setback was substantial. Norris, for his part, had a middling day; starting and finishing seventh, he was unable to capitalize fully on his teammate’s misfortune.
Carlos Sainz spoke afterwards about what this podium means for both himself and Williams. “I cannot describe how happy I am and how good this feels. It tastes even better than my first-ever podium,” he said, pointing out that this result proves the team can perform when everything clicks. He added: “We nailed the race, not one mistake, and we managed to beat a lot of cars Saturday that we wouldn’t have expected to beat.”
Williams’ upswing in form was made more remarkable by the context: the team had struggled for several seasons, with podiums few and far between. This result not only boosted their morale but perhaps signaled that on certain circuits, with the right combination of strategy, car set-up, and execution, they could mix it up with the frontrunners.
The backdrop to this race was the winding Baku City Circuit, a street circuit known for its unforgiving walls, long straights, and tricky slipstreams. Winds gusted across the track during the GP, making car balance particularly difficult; yet Verstappen and Red Bull appeared to have conditions well under control.
For McLaren, the weekend served as a reminder that momentum can be fragile—and that in F1, the margin between triumph and error is always thin.