Why Max Verstappen's Dominant Azerbaijan GP Victory Was "Straightforward"

Max Verstappen has explained why his dominant Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory was "pretty straightforward."

The seven-time Formula 1 world champion was in a class of one at the Baku City Circuit and eventually finished over 14 seconds ahead of Mercedes' George Russell.

Victory was Verstappen's second in a row after an even more impressive performance at the Italian Grand Prix two weeks prior, bringing him back into the drivers' championship conversation after a difficult day for McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Verstappen hails "incredible" weekend

Max Verstappen, Red Bull, takes the chequered flag at the 2025 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit, Baku. | Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

The last two results have been a welcome turnaround in form for Red Bull after a tumultuous first half of the season that saw former team principal Christian Horner replaced by Laurent Mekies.

The Frenchman's more engineering-focused approach has been lauded for the recent upturn in form and reacting to his win, Verstappen said: “This weekend has been incredible for us. Of course, last weekend was already great.

“For us to win here again is just fantastic. Also the race, the car was working really well on both of the compounds. We had clean air all the time, and you could then look after your tires. It was pretty straightforward.

“It's not easy around here, it was very windy today, so the car is always moving around a lot. Incredibly happy with this performance.”

A race of less drama

Well 🇦🇿 Done 🇦🇿 Baku 🇦🇿#F1 || #AzerbaijanGP 👏 pic.twitter.com/xP7nDNegSf
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) September 21, 2025

The race was far less dramatic than Saturday's qualifying, where a spate of incidents led to a record six red flag periods during the session.

Only one safety car was triggered during the grand prix, caused by Piastri as he crashed out at Turn 5 on the opening lap.

“In the race, you have to be a little bit more careful,” explained Verstappen when asked why there were fewer errors from the field on race day. “Also with tyre management and stuff you want to make the one stop work.

“Everyone was a bit more cautious with that anyway. Plus, the compounds that we were running today, medium and hard, they weren't really used that much up until today. That all helped. For sure, I was happy that there were not too many safety cars!”

The Latest Formula 1 News

Oscar Piastri Reacts To Disastrous Azerbaijan Grand Prix

F1 Standings After Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025

Charles Leclerc Makes Honest Admission After Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying Disappointment

Lando Norris Reveals McLaren Gamble That Left Him A "Loser" In Azerbaijan GP Qualifying