Max Verstappen wins confidently in Azerbaijan – Red Bull shines!
Max Verstappen wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 21, 2025 and secures Red Bull's return to the top.

Max Verstappen wins confidently in Azerbaijan – Red Bull shines!
The Formula 1 world experienced a thrilling race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which took place on September 21, 2025. Max Verstappen prevailed from pole position and celebrated a confident victory. Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson followed him in second and third place, which impressively underlined Red Bull Racing's return credo. Loud Motors Inside Verstappen showed his class on the first lap.
Nine drivers opted for hard tires, while some teams, such as Ferrari, chose a mixed strategy - Lewis Hamilton relied on the hard tires while Charles Leclerc went with the medium ones. Amid these tactics, Esteban Ocon fell to last place after a disqualification on Saturday. Oscar Piastri, who also had a difficult race, stopped at the start and had to fight his way back to the back positions. Autogear reported that Piastri retired from the race after a crash in the first race of the year, losing McLaren its title chances.
Strategic finesse on the track
As usual, the race strategy played a central role. A virtual safety car phase enabled several drivers, like Ocon, to pull into the pits for a stop early on. Looking at the tactical decisions, it is clear that tire wear and pit stops were crucial. Loud Motorsport Magazine Drivers must use at least two different tire compounds in a dry race, making strategic planning even more complicated. Strategists also take the current track position into account and try to time the stopping strategy so that drivers have free travel.
There were also some interesting overtaking maneuvers during the course of the race. Liam Lawson impressed with a strong performance, while Tsunoda overtook Russell and Hamilton got ahead of Hadjar. An interesting aspect was that the drivers had to switch to hard tires on the 19th lap and Antonelli lost time compared to Lawson due to a late switch. Verstappen, who set the fastest lap on worn tires, once again showed his flair for the challenge.
The end result
Max Verstappen finally crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:33:26.408. He was followed by George Russell, who finished 14.609 seconds later, and Carlos Sainz, who secured third place, 19.199 seconds behind. Here is an overview of the rankings:
| Place | driver | team | Time | residue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:33:26.408 | – |
| 2 | Russell | Mercedes | +14,609s | +14,609 |
| 3 | Sainz | Williams | +19,199s | +19,199 |
| 4 | Antonelli | Mercedes | +21,760s | +21,760 |
| 5 | Lawson | Racing Bulls | +33,290s | +33,290 |
| 6 | Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +33.808s | +33,808 |
| 7 | Norris | McLaren | +34.227s | +34,227 |
| 8 | Hamilton | Ferrari | +36,310s | +36,310 |
| 9 | Leclerc | Ferrari | +36,774s | +36,774 |
| 10 | Hajar | Racing Bulls | +38,982s | +38,982 |
| 11 | Bortoleto | Clean | +67.606s | +67,606 |
| 12 | Bearman | Haas | +68.262s | +68,262 |
| 13 | Albon | Williams | +72,870s | +72,870 |
| 14 | Ocon | Haas | +77,580s | +77,580 |
| 15 | Alonso | Aston Martin | +78.707s | +78,707 |
| 16 | Hulkenberg | Clean | +80.237s | +80,237 |
| 17 | Stroll | Aston Martin | +96.392s | +96,392 |
| 18 | Gasly | Alpine | 1 round | – |
| 19 | Colapinto | Alpine | 1 round | – |
| 20 | Piastri | McLaren | DNF | – |
In conclusion, Max Verstappen not only won the race, but also confirmed his excellent form. Looking at last season, where he was involved in an unfortunate incident with Piastri, he has clearly developed further. His apology to Piastri and his desire to maintain a friendly relationship demonstrate the sporting spirit that is needed even in such a competitive environment. Formula 1 remains exciting as ever!