Max Verstappen smiles after Baku GP win. Photo: RacePictures

International media crown Verstappen and Sainz, doubts loom over McLaren

07:41, 22 Sep

byTobia Elia

This is how the international press reacted to Max Verstappen’s victory and Carlos Sainz' first podium with Williams in Baku.

Red Bull celebrates Baku win. Photo: RacePictures.

BBC

The BBC pointed out that the victory in Baku was never in doubt with Max Verstappen in such form, and that the Dutchman can now consider winning even at Baku, despite it not being the most favourable track for Red Bull on paper.

“Verstappen was in total control of the race from the start, as was expected with slower cars between him and his main rivals McLaren. He measured his pace early on, protecting the hard tyres he had chosen for a long first stint, and managed the race to perfection, taking fastest lap into the bargain along with his fourth win of the season, only one fewer than Norris.

Red Bull felt they had made a breakthrough with their car at the previous race in Italy, with a new floor opening up a better balance than they had had for a year.

It remains to be proven on a variety of circuit types – Baku is not dissimilar to Monza with its combination of long straights and slow corners – but it is certainly a warning shot across McLaren's bows, even if their advantage remains sizeable.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport

La Gazzetta dello Sport highlighted Max Verstappen’s perfect weekend, noting that Red Bull can now truly start dreaming of the Drivers’ Championship if McLaren struggles as they did in Baku.

Baku was a one-sided affair: Max Verstappen dominated the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading every lap and sending a clear message to McLaren, who struggled with Norris in seventh and championship leader Piastri crashing out on the opening lap.

‘Simply perfect. Simply Max. Starting on the hard tyre was a disadvantage, with those behind on mediums, but he made no mistakes, kept the lead, and a few laps later silenced even the sceptics with a flawless restart after the Safety Car caused by Piastri.

“From there, it was a masterclass—always at the front, setting repeated fastest laps, leaving even his pit wall stunned. With Verstappen in this form, Red Bull are dreaming big again, especially after McLaren’s disastrous weekend.”

Marca

Marca has of course highlighted Carlos Sainz’s outstanding performance, noting that it was in Baku that he secured his first podium with Williams, holding off Kimi Antonelli’s charge and achieving the feat of claiming a podium ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari.

“Carlos Sainz has achieved an invaluable podium, the first achieved by Williams since Belgium in 2021. More than four years have passed and it had to be the Spaniard who returns the historic Grove team to a ceremony.

It is his 28th podium in F1 and the prelude to many more, for a driver who has to fight for World titles and perhaps 10 more years in F1. Perhaps the triumphs will come in 2026 with the change in regulations.

It is the third team with which Sainz has achieved podiums in F1, after McLaren and Ferrari, that is, with the three most historic and classic teams in F1, which speaks of his versatility, his ability to adapt and his level of driving, in short. A great of today's F1. By the way, it took him less time to get on the podium with Williams than Lewis Hamilton with Ferrari, who was eighth today.”

How did the drivers' standings change after the Azerbaijan GP?

Oscar Piastri’s retirement on the first lap in Baku effectively reopened a championship that had seemed dominated solely by the two McLarens, with Verstappen now trailing by 69 points with seven races and three sprints still to go.

The gap is still significant, preventing the Dutchman from relying solely on his own performance, but it at least gives him more hope compared to being over 100 points behind before Monza. Norris also closed in slightly with his seventh-place finish, although the Briton missed the chance to significantly reduce the gap to his teammate.

Here’s the updated Drivers’ Championship standings after Baku.

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