Max Verstappen has roared back into title contention with his fourth win of the season in Baku, making it back-to-back victories for the Dutch driver.
The win in Azerbaijan has breathed new life into what had been a disappointing year for the defending champion and his Red Bull team.
These consecutive wins have suddenly thrust Verstappen back into the championship conversation – something he was quick to acknowledge after Sunday’s race.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, typically outspoken, remained unusually tight-lipped when reporters pressed him about their renewed title hopes.
It’s a dramatic turnaround for a team that had seemed to lose their edge earlier in the season.
Meanwhile, McLaren endured a weekend to forget in Azerbaijan.
The British team arrived in Baku with a chance to lock up the constructors’ championship, but left with those celebrations on hold.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out on the very first lap, dealing a major blow to the team’s hopes.
Lando Norris, who started from a disappointing P7, saw his race further compromised by a painfully slow pit stop that prevented him from moving up the field.
McLaren boss Andrea Stella didn’t mince words after the race, pointing to their poor qualifying performance on Saturday as the root cause of Sunday’s disappointing points haul.
The combination of Verstappen’s resurgence and McLaren’s stumble has suddenly made the championship battles look much more interesting heading into the final stretch of the season.
