Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but at a high price? Will Red Bull run out of tires on Sunday?
Baku has not been a good place for Max Verstappen so far, but in 2025 he made his breakthrough: the Red Bull driver put his car in pole position in Azerbaijan for the first time. It was not an easy road to get there.
“There were so many interruptions, yellow flags, red flags,” Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko described in an interview with Sky. “Then raindrops, no raindrops—it was very nerve-wracking.”
In the end, the choice of tires was decisive. Verstappen ultimately decided against the team’s theory and opted for soft tires. “Medium tires would have been enough on the first attempt. But then it was the right decision to put on the soft tires, even though they weren’t faster for us on paper.”
Strategy problems: Had to use more tires than planned
The difficult qualifying session left its mark – even in the pits. “Our tire strategy for the race has now been thrown into disarray because we had to use more tires than planned,” said Marko. All the interruptions meant that new tires had to be fitted again and again.
Nevertheless, he believes the team is in a good starting position: “We saw yesterday that we can compete at the front in the long run. And from the start to the first corner, it’s relatively short here – so there’s no danger of losing our position immediately.”
Lawson and Co.: Red Bull sends four cars into the top 10
Verstappen wasn’t the only one who shone in Baku. The other drivers from the Red Bull universe also made headlines. Liam Lawson secured third place, while Isack Hadjar and Yuki Tsunoda also finished in the top ten. “All four did a great job. And the conditions were really difficult. This is the second time this year that we have all our cars in the top 10,” Marko praised.
While Red Bull is in good shape in terms of performance, the weather remains the big question mark. According to forecasts, heavy showers are once again threatening the race. “If it really rains that hard, it’s no fun. It would be almost too dangerous,” Marko warned. “Normally, it would be a one-stop race. If we get off to a good start, we’ll be in a good position. But with these conditions, anything can happen.”
