Max Verstappen is on the rise. Today marks his second win in a row this year. His win at Baku marks is third victory of the season and his 67th victory in his career. Verstappen’s off-track activities have never been busier than this season. He is a new father. He obtained his DMSB Permit A for the Nurburgring Nordschleife. Verstappen is now ready to compete in almost all races at the Nurburgring including GT3 and the 24-hour endurance race. Max has even taken the time to do a in-depth car review and interview with Chris Harris. None of these activities has shaken his focus from the Formula 1 Grid.
With multiple red and yellow flags during qualification, it is a wonder there were enough cars to field the grid today. A record breaking six red flags occurred during qualification. Oscar Piastri’s qualification shunt opened the door for Lando Norris close the gap in points. However, Lando failed to take advantage of the situation, qualifying a paltry seventh. Though, Oscar Piastri and Charles LeClerc made it to Q3, they failed to finish, relegating them to ninth and tenth starting positions respectfully.
Oscar Piastri’s weekend was abysmal. He wrecked two days in a row. During lap one, he jumped the start, his car stalled and the whole grid passed him by. As he was vying for 19th position, his left front tire locked up and he slammed into the wall at turn five. His poor showing this weekend opened the door for Verstappen and Norris to take a big bite into Piastri’s substantial points lead. Verstappen capitalized on the situation with a victory while Lando struggled to finish where he started.
Carlos Sainz performance this weekend is a pleasant surprise. Qualifying second, he maintained his position most of the race, finishing third overall achieving his first podium of the season. The Red Bull garage must be ecstatic this weekend as they achieved a top ten finish for all four of their drivers. Finally, George Russell’s performance likely under him another year with Mercedes. Despite his somewhat complaining nature, Russell consistently performs on track, drawing out as much as he can from his Mercedes.
Max Verstappen is slowly reeling in McLaren. It is unclear if he can win the championship this year. Many believe it is still a long shot. He is only 44 points behind Lando Norris and 69 points from Oscar Piastri. If McLaren continues to falter, and Verstappen continues to win, then this year’s Championship will come down to the very last race. Seven Grand Prix’s and two sprint races are left to decide the outcome.
