Baku Podium Gives Verstappen and Red Bull Fresh Hope

Key Takeaways

How close did Verstappen come to victory in Baku?

Max Verstappen was a whisker off winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, according to the race report from Baku. It was the kind of result that will sting in the short term but that Red Bull can build on, given how tight the margin reportedly was at the front of the field. Verstappen has spent much of the 2026 season chasing the pace of the Mercedes cars driven by Andrea Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, and a near-miss of this kind in Baku’s street circuit environment shows the RB22 can still fight for wins on a layout that rewards both power and precision through the long straights and tight chicanes.

For a driver in his twelfth F1 season, this was a reminder that raw pace has not disappeared from the Red Bull package, even in a year dominated by Mercedes’ Silver Arrows. Baku has historically been a venue where Red Bull’s low-drag setups pay off, and this weekend appears to have followed that pattern closely, right up until the final laps.

What did Isack Hadjar’s podium mean for Red Bull?

Isack Hadjar joining Verstappen on the podium in Baku gave Red Bull two cars in the top three, a rare and valuable outcome in a season where the team has often had to fight from further back. Hadjar, in his second F1 season, has increasingly shown he can operate at the sharp end of the grid, and a podium alongside his more experienced team mate is a signature result for his career so far.

Having two Red Bull cars on the rostrum in the same race also matters for the constructors’ championship picture, where every point counts against a Mercedes operation that has built a big cushion at the top of the standings. A double haul of podium points from Baku is exactly the kind of result Red Bull needs to repeat if it wants to keep chipping away at that gap in the closing rounds.

Where does this leave the championship picture after round 15?

Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings with 538 points after round 15, with Ferrari second on 378 and McLaren third on 306, underlining how far clear the Silver Arrows have pulled this season. In the drivers’ standings, Andrea Kimi Antonelli sits top with 302 points, ahead of George Russell on 236, Lewis Hamilton on 199, Lando Norris on 186 and Charles Leclerc on 179.

Verstappen’s Baku result does not appear in that top five, a reflection of how much ground Mercedes has built over the season, but a near-win result of this kind shows Red Bull is still capable of troubling the front of the field on the right layout. With eight rounds remaining after Baku, results like this one keep Red Bull’s championship ambitions alive, even if a mathematical title fight now looks like a long shot.

Why Baku suited the Red Bull package this weekend

Baku’s mix of long straights and technical castle-section corners has traditionally favored cars with strong straight-line speed and a stable rear end under braking, and Red Bull’s RB22 appears to have delivered exactly that balance in Azerbaijan. The near-victory for Verstappen, backed up by Hadjar’s podium, suggests the car found a setup window that worked across both stints of the race.

It is a useful data point for the team as it heads toward round 16, the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang International Circuit on 2026-10-04, a very different type of circuit that will test whether Baku’s pace was track-specific or a genuine step forward in car performance.

What Baku’s podium moment means for fans and collectors

A double Red Bull podium in Baku is the kind of race weekend that fans want to remember, with both Verstappen and Hadjar delivering under pressure on one of the calendar’s most demanding street circuits. Podium moments like this one, where a title contender comes agonizingly close to a win alongside a rising team mate, tend to become reference points for a driver’s season.

For those following Verstappen’s 2026 campaign, races like Baku add to the story of a driver still fighting hard in his twelfth F1 season, even as the championship fight plays out mostly among the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers this year.

FAQ

Q: Did Max Verstappen win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
No, Verstappen did not win the race; he was reported to be a whisker off victory, finishing on the podium in Baku.

Q: Who else finished on the podium for Red Bull in Baku?
Isack Hadjar joined Max Verstappen on the podium, giving Red Bull two cars in the top three at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Q: Where does Red Bull sit in the 2026 constructors’ championship?
Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings with 538 points after round 15, with Ferrari on 378 and McLaren on 306; Red Bull’s Baku podiums add valuable points to its own tally further down the order.

Q: What is the next round after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
Round 16 is the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, held at Sepang International Circuit on 2026-10-04.

Q: How many F1 seasons has Max Verstappen driven?
2026 is Max Verstappen’s twelfth F1 season, driving for Red Bull.

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