Laurent Mekies indicated that the dominant victory of Max Verstappen on Saturday was the key factor in the Grand Slam of Baku, who created the absolute safety gap
In the hectic world of Formula 1, where every turn can be a potential turning point, Max Verstappen has again proven why he is one of the greatest talents in sports history. The Dutch driver of Oracle Red Bull Racing dominated the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend in Baku in an unparalleled way, with an achievement that delivered his sixth Grand Slam in his career. A Grand Slam-Pole Position, all Race Lappen Leiden, the fastest round and the victory-is a rarity in F1, and Verstappen now shares second place in history with Lewis Hamilton, behind only the legendary Jim Clark. But according to team boss Laurent Mekies, the key to this success was not only the speed on Sunday, but especially the ‘dominant victory’ on Saturday during qualifying, which created an absolute safety gap.
Baku, with its challenging street circuit along the Caspian Sea, was known as a job where Verstappen struggled in previous years. In 2024 he crashed during the race, and historically it was a circuit full of chaos and unpredictable safety cars. This year everything was different. The qualification on Saturday was a nightmare for many: six red flags by Crashes, including that of championship leader Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, made it the most chaotic session ever. Wind gap up to 60 kilometers per hour threw a spanner in the works, and experienced drivers such as Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton struggled to put down a clean lap. Verstappen, on the other hand, remained calm. In the last runs of Q3 he clocked a stunning lap time, almost half a second faster than his close rival, Carlos Sainz by Williams. “That was a master class in qualifying,” Mekies said afterwards in an interview with Sky Sports F1. “In such difficult circumstances, with that wind, he immediately created a gap that no one could close anymore.”
That gorge was crucial, Mekies emphasizes. By grabbing pole, Red Bull was able to roll out an aggressive strategy without being directly in the line of fire. Verstappen started on hard tires, a risk that he pushed himself, inspired by lessons from the previous race in Monza. “Max had a very clear idea,” Mekies explained to Motorsport.com. “He wanted to use the pace of the car and just disappear with the hards. In Monza we had driven too long, and that made us vulnerable for a safety car. Here in Baku, with the history of countless interruptions, we wanted to avoid that.” The strategy worked perfectly: while Sainz started on mediums and put pressure on the opening phase, Verstappen built up a lead that rose to more than ten seconds. Even when he pits for mediums, he did not lose any positions. The result? A Lights-to-Flag victory with a 14-second lead over George Russell from Mercedes, who came in second, and Sainz on stage for Williams-his first since his switch from Ferrari.
For Red Bull this weekend was a breakthrough. The upgrades on the floor of the RB21 paid off in the high-speed turns of Baku, where the team could finally compete with the dominant McLaren. Piastri’s disastrous weekend – a crash in Q3 and an even worse one on the opening patch of the race, where he took the lights too early and ended up in the wall – Verstappen gave a welcome boost in the title race. The Australian, who had 31 points for this incident on teammate Norris, saw his lead shrinking up to 69 points on Verstappen, with seven more races to go. Norris could not benefit and finished seventh, which makes the internal McLaren struggle even more exciting. “This is a very good sign for our car,” said Mekies on F1 TV. “We made breakthroughs, and Max was Untouchable. His input in the strategy was decisive; he is not alone, he thinks along as a team boss.”
Teammate Yuki Tsunoda also shone, with a sixth place – his best result ever for Red Bull. “This was Yuki’s best race,” Mekies praised. “He defended brilliantly against Norris in the final phase and showed the progress we make.” Tsunoda, who struggled with consistency earlier this season, benefited from the stable setup and the chaos in the back, where Liam Lawson was fifth for Racing Bulls and Kimi Antonelli celebrated for Mercedes. The rest of the field had more bad luck: Lewis Hamilton finished eighth for Ferrari, and rear-guard drivers such as Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso dangled at the bottom.
Verstappen’s reaction After the race was typically sober, with a nod to his critics. “Someone said Baku wasn’t my best job,” he joked about the team radio. “Well, time to prove that opposite. No risk, no fun.” Indeed, the four -time world champion did not give up his title ambitions. With back-to-back victories after Monza-for the first time in more than a year-and most points since the summer break, it is 255 points, 69 behind Piastri. “We’ll see how the championship unfolds,” he told Sky Sports. “Singapore should fit better, and then we can fight for more victories.”
Mekies, who has only recently become team boss after the turbulent period with Christian Horner, sees this as a turning point for Red Bull. The team, which struggled with balance problems halfway through the season, seems to have found its shape. “The dominance on Saturday created that safety gap, and Sunday it was controlled races,” he summarizes. “Max ‘performance was impressive, two weeks after Monza. It shows that we are on the right track.” While the F1 caravan is now traveling to Singapore for the night race on 3-5 October, the question lingers: Can Verstappen close the gap? With his Grand Slam in Baku, he has at least made a statement. The title fight has not yet been decided, and the Dutch champion is back in the hunt.
