By: The Baku circuit is truly one of a kind. Its distinctive nature makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about the performance of cars and drivers. However, viewed in a broader context, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix offered welcome confirmation for Red Bull Racing. There has never been any doubt about Max Verstappen’s ability, even in the darkest moments of the season. What is surprising is the competitiveness of the car in the hands of the “second driver” — the man tasked with measuring himself against the four-time world champion. Isack Hadjar’s deserved podium, after missing three Grands Prix with a left-wrist injury, proves that the RB22 is genuinely competitive. All this without taking into account the FIA’s farcical assessment, which prevents the Powertrains division from making use of the ADUO provision, despite the clear advantage enjoyed by the Mercedes Power Unit over every other manufacturer.
A missed opportunity?
With hindsight, had it not been for Friday’s disastrous qualifying session, Max Verstappen would have been marking George Russell closely. In the interests of fairness, however, it must be said that on the medium tyre the four-time world champion was unable to get rid of Oscar Piastri, just as those ahead of him had been in the preceding laps. That level of competitiveness had already been apparent thanks to his French team-mate’s excellent qualifying performance. Jos’s son, aside from the serious mistake in the Netherlands, has taken six podiums in eight Grands Prix since the Austrian Grand Prix (four runner-up finishes and two third places). In a hypothetical mini-championship covering the last eight rounds, Verstappen has scored 24 points fewer than Antonelli. In many of them, the Dutch star’s driving skill was fundamental, but the car’s development has been relentless and has brought performance to the package.
The revolution under way
The most interesting figure concerns the constructors’ standings. Despite Verstappen fighting for the title until the final corner last year, Red Bull have more points in the constructors’ championship after 15 rounds this season (49 points more). After years of cars that were virtually undriveable for his team-mates, the RB22 also allowed Liam Lawson to perform respectably in the three rounds in which he replaced Hadjar. Proof that this is not simply a matter of driving compatibility between Isack and Max. The 2026 single-seater is not a “mouse” set to 100% sensitivity, as Alex Albon once put it in an attempt to explain the hypersensitivity of previous Austrian cars. On the contrary, Max has disproved those who claimed that only certain set-ups or a car’s inherent characteristics could bring out his talent.
