Max finishes in P5 in thrilling Azerbaijan GP: 'We had no pace'

Published on 15 September 2024 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen finished fifth in a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The three-time world champion started in sixth place and managed to move up to fifth after the start. Throughout the race, Max repeatedly complained about a lack of grip of his RB20 and was unable to mount any serious challenge. During the difficult race, the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver dropped back to P7, but due to a crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz in the penultimate lap, Max finished in fifth. At the front, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc were battling for the win for most of the race, with Piastri ultimately coming out on top to claim his second Grand Prix victory. George Russell completed the podium, while Lando Norris finished fourth after a recovery drive from P15 on the grid.

After the race, a disappointed Max said: "For me, it was obviously very bad. We had no pace at all. On the medium compound tyres, we had a bit more degradation, and on the hard tyres, it actually went a little better. However, I got stuck behind Albon and Norris, which caused my brakes and tyres to overheat, so I had to back off. Later, when I dropped behind Russell, our pace was actually quite good compared to the front group, but my car was very difficult to drive. During qualifying, I noticed that the changes we made to the car did not work out. You end up paying the price for that in the race. I could not brake at all, and I could not attack the corners. In the turns, one wheel kept lifting off the ground. Every time, I was bouncing in all directions through the slow corners. It felt just like a kart. When you do not have contact with the asphalt, you also have no grip. You cannot brake, and you end up sliding more. These tyres are very sensitive to sliding, because then the temperature rises. All the problems get worse. That is why, for me, it felt like nothing went right."

Verstappen knows that the next race in Singapore could also be challenging: "Singapore is very bumpy as well. We need to make sure we set up the car better. Here, we tried some things that unfortunately did not work out."

Still, Max sees some positives: "Checo had a good race; it seemed like he felt more comfortable in the car. We tried something different with the setup, and it did not work. You win and lose as a team, and sometimes a last-minute change can turn out well. Besides, we did not lose many points in the drivers’ championship, and I know we can perform much better than we did today, so that is what we will aim for in the next race."

It is dry with an outside temperature of 27 degrees Celsius as the 51-lap Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the lightning-fast street circuit in Baku is about to begin. Max starts from sixth after a disappointing qualifying, while championship rival Lando Norris is only in fifteenth place on the grid. Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon will start the race from the pit lane. The entire top eight starts on medium compound tyres, while Alexander Albon in P9 is the first driver on hard compound tyres.

Max gets off to a good start from his sixth position, going side by side with Russell as they exit the first corner, before overtaking the Mercedes driver for fifth place at turn two. Polesitter Charles Leclerc holds the lead, followed by Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez, while Lance Stroll has to pit at the end of the first lap with a puncture after a touch with Yuki Tsunoda. In the opening laps, there are no changes at the front, while Norris has already fought his way back to P10 by lap eight.

Verstappen makes his first pit stop on lap 13. The medium compound tyres are swapped for a fresh set of hard tyres, and the Dutchman returns to the track in tenth place. However, after an overtaking move on Daniel Ricciardo and pit stops from both Haas drivers, Max climbs back up to P7. Yuki Tsunoda, suffering from too much damage after the incident with Stroll, parks his car in the pits on lap sixteen, becoming the first retirement of the race.

After the first round of pit stops, Piastri catches up to race leader Charles Leclerc, and on lap 20, the McLaren driver pulls off a late braking move to overtake the Ferrari driver at turn one. A few laps later, Max is behind Norris, who has yet to pit. A fierce battle ensues, but after a failed overtaking attempt, Max remains stuck behind Norris, who is himself closely following Albon, who also has not pitted yet. The three drivers continue to drive nose to tail lap after lap, while at the front, Leclerc stays close behind Piastri, with Perez lurking in third.

On lap 32, Albon comes into the pits, while George Russell catches up to Verstappen. Two laps later, Russell overtakes Verstappen, who complains over the radio about a lack of grip. Meanwhile, Leclerc makes several attempts to attack race leader Piastri, but the Australian successfully defends his position each time.

Lando Norris finally makes his mandatory pit stop on lap 38, rejoining the track in seventh place, about fifteen seconds behind Verstappen, who is in sixth. Norris quickly closes the gap to Verstappen, and with two laps to go, the McLaren driver overtakes Verstappen with ease on his fresher tyres to take sixth place.

At the front, Leclerc loses touch with Piastri in the final stages and finds himself defending against Perez and Sainz behind him. In the penultimate lap, Leclerc narrowly fends off an overtake attempt by Perez at turn one. As a result of this move, Sainz also gets past Perez. Coming out of turn two, the wheels of Perez and Sainz lock together, sending both drivers crashing hard into the wall. Although they are able to walk away unharmed, the race is over for both Perez and Sainz.

The race ends under the virtual safety car, allowing Oscar Piastri to secure his second Grand Prix victory. Leclerc finishes in P2, while George Russell moves up to third place. Lando Norris completes his recovery drive in P4 and claims the point for the fastest lap. Additionally, McLaren takes the lead in the Constructors' Championship from Red Bull Racing. Max Verstappen concludes a disappointing weekend in P5, with Fernando Alonso behind him in sixth. Williams scores its best result of the season with Alexander Albon in P7, and rookie Franco Colapinto, after starting from P8, finishes an impressive weekend in eighth place, earning his first Formula 1 points. Lewis Hamilton finishes ninth, while rookie Oliver Bearman, filling in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen at Haas, is rewarded with a point for finishing in P10.

Results Grand Prix Azerbaijan: