Former world champion Max Verstappen leads Red Bull into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Max Verstappen, the reigning Formula 1 champion, sits at the top of the series standings, with Sergio Perez chasing closely as his teammate. The team that has dominated the early part of the season is aiming to carry that momentum into the eighth race of the year, held on the scenic city streets of Baku. The capital’s urban circuit, famed for its long main straight and tight corners, provides another proving ground for the team’s speed and strategy as teams arrive for a weekend that blends street racing with high-stakes championship battle.
Two Sundays ago in Monaco, Perez secured his third career F1 victory and his first of the season, a triumph that came just after Red Bull announced a contract extension through 2024. He steered his way to the front ahead of Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, who repeated last year’s silver medal in the principality, while Verstappen finished on the podium in third. The race was heavily affected by rain, which disrupted the start and shortened the race, and Charles Leclerc, starting from pole for Ferrari, finished fourth after a strategic misstep by his team. Fernando Alonso, the veteran Spaniard driving for Alpine, finished in seventh place, delivering a reminder of the seasoned skill still present in the grid.
[Overall World Championship standings are available here]
Verstappen leads the championship with a substantial cushion after four wins this season, holding 125 points. He enjoys a nine-point edge over Leclerc, who encountered an engine issue in Montmeló, which cost him the lead. Perez sits in third, sixteen points behind his teammate, while Sainz is fifth with 83 points. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton sits sixth, just one point behind George Russell and slightly ahead of his Mercedes teammate. The early-season form underscores Red Bull’s strength, though the title race remains open and fiercely contested.
Baku street circuit demands high-speed balance
The Baku track stretches 6,003 meters with twenty corners, evenly split between left and right turns, two DRS zones, and the longest straight in the championship at 2.2 kilometers. After Monaco, teams favor setups that prioritize top speed, and Red Bull has shown itself capable of delivering that edge on tracks resembling Baku, including Jeddah. In this sense, the Red Bull package appears well-suited to extract maximum pace while still maintaining control through the city corners.
With the third-longest runway profile in the world, following Spa and Jeddah, teams must strike a careful balance: a setup that keeps the car fast on the long main straight while still delivering enough downforce for the tight first turns. The challenge spans all three sectors of the circuit, demanding a smart compromise between aero efficiency and mechanical grip.
[Complete season calendar is available here]
Monaco saw Perez overtake Sainz on the grid and Verstappen slotting in behind them, while Leclerc started from pole. A Ferrari strategic miscue during a pit stop opened the door for the Monegasque driver to surge ahead, denying a straightforward victory for the Spaniards and leaving Verstappen to extend his overall advantage while Sainz reached his tenth podium of the season. The result reinforced the growing separation at the top, as Verstappen increased his lead in the standings before the high-stakes those next races.
Alonso eyes more points as Alpine presses on
Fernando Alonso, who had a strong qualifying session yet faced a difficult race, remains determined to climb the driver standings. Sitting thirteenth overall with ten points, he is just behind Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, who have shown bursts of speed this season. Magnussen and others are in pursuit of consistent results as the season unfolds, and the midfield battles continue to heat up as teams chase valuable points in every session.
In the Constructors’ World Championship, Red Bull leads, with Ferrari and Mercedes close behind in a tight race for the podium spots. Alpine sits in a comfortable fifth, while the long-standing rivalry between the top teams adds extra drama to every race weekend. The season keeps everyone guessing, with each race offering new stories and shifting probabilities as the teams refine their setups and strategies.
“I am very happy to extend my contract until at least 2024,” Perez said before heading to Azerbaijan, a track he has visited multiple times and considers one of his talismans. He emphasized his confidence in returning to a circuit where he has enjoyed success and stressed his focus on ongoing improvements and future victories. His remarks reflect a driver’s mindset aimed at consistency and peak performance as the team pursues its ambitious goals.
Azerbaijan first joined the F1 World Championship in 2016, when the event was known as the European Grand Prix and Nico Rosberg claimed victory for Mercedes with Perez finishing on the podium for Force India. Since 2017, the race has been branded as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with no single driver dominating year after year and a variety of pole sitters lighting up the front row on different weekends.
Perez seeks a repeat of 2021 glory
Fans remember some of the lighter, more entertaining moments of the sport, including Mark Webber’s reaction to a dramatic restart at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The race has produced dramatic twists and the occasional surprise result, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats. Perez’s previous podiums in Baku and his strong performances in recent years add to the intrigue as the event approaches, with Verstappen eager to complete unfinished business from the previous season.
Looking ahead to the weekend, Perez heads into practice on Friday with a clear message: he wants to return to the form that has characterized his career and to push for victory once again. The team plans to run the same tire compounds used in Monaco — C3 (hard), C4 (medium), and C5 (soft) — to balance durability and speed across the different phases of the weekend.
Rehearsals will wrap up on Saturday, followed by qualifying that will decide Sunday’s starting grid. The race is scheduled for 51 laps, covering roughly 306 kilometers, and the teams will need every bit of precision to navigate Baku’s famous street layout and secure precious championship points.