Max Verstappen reveals unwanted side effect of record Baku red flag drama

After a chaotic qualifying at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Max Verstappen emerged as the polesitter, having held his nerve throughout a heavily-extended session.

A total of six red flags were thrown during qualifying in Baku, a new Formula 1 record. With Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc crashing out, while Lando Norris hit the wall, Verstappen delivered to claim pole position. It turned out he did so on suboptimal rubber, as all the delays meant he had “run out of tyres”.

Max Verstappen overcomes tyre headache at Azerbaijan GP

Never before has a qualifying session featured six red flags. The end result was a one-lap shootout at the end of Q3, as Williams’ Carlos Sainz looked to cling on to an unlikely pole. Ultimately, he was forced to settle for the front row, with Verstappen clinching pole.

Verstappen did that with his tyre supply at zero.

“Long qualifying, to be honest, with so many red flags,” he reflected.

“It was very difficult to basically get your lap together, because most of the time your tyres are not really ready, or again, a red flag happens.

“So especially Q3 with also a bit of rain around, was a very difficult session.

“And then the final lap, you just have to send it. I wasn’t even on the best tyres that I wanted, but because of all the red flags, you basically run out of tyres.”

He added: “I’m very happy with so far how the weekend went, because I think, from FP1, we were not too bad, and we just kept on improving a tiny amount, and then we were there in qualifying. And that’s, of course, where it matters.”

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There is a spring back in the step of Red Bull following Verstappen’s heroics at Monza. There, the reigning four-time World Champion converted pole into victory, and will look to do the same again on Sunday in Baku.

Put to him that he seemed to unlock something after Monza, Verstappen was asked if he truly thought he could claim pole in Baku.

“I think we definitely were in there for pole,” he said.

“Q3 is always a bit messy for everyone, but I’m just happy, yeah, it seems like since Monza, we’re doing a better job, and I hope that we can continue in that way.”

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