Red Bull Racing faced sharp criticism at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for refusing to swap Isack Hadjar back behind Max Verstappen during their pursuit of Oscar Piastri. While Verstappen initially charged through the field on Saturday, team strategy kept Hadjar behind his teammate despite superior pace on soft tires, a decision that Sky F1 analyst Ted Kravitz called out as a missed opportunity.
Strategy and Pace at the Baku Circuit
During the opening phase of the race at the Baku street circuit, Max Verstappen carved his way through the order to slot in directly behind Isack Hadjar. Team instructions ordered Hadjar to step aside for his teammate so Verstappen could mount a challenge against McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. However, Piastri maintained strong pace in the second sector, keeping both Red Bull cars bottled up behind the Australian until a safety car intervention neutralized the race.
During that stint behind McLaren, Hadjar began putting pressure on Verstappen. The reigning world champion struggled for desired pace on the medium compound tires, recording lap times slower than his French teammate. Without a direct team radio call, Hadjar signaled his intent to reclaim third position, but Red Bull management left the positions frozen.
Sky F1 Criticism Over Tire Management
Sky F1 analyst Ted Kravitz questioned why Red Bull left Verstappen ahead when Hadjar held a clear performance advantage on the red-walled rubber. “On the softs, Hadjar was clearly faster,” Kravitz stated during the broadcast coverage. “At that moment, however, Red Bull decided they simply didn’t want to ask Max to let Isack through.”
Red Bull defended the decision by pointing toward their strategy to transition Verstappen onto a fresh set of soft tires later in the race, which they considered the superior compound. Once fitted with the new softs, Verstappen unlocked greater speed than Hadjar and ultimately crossed the finish line roughly ten seconds ahead of his teammate. Kravitz noted that safety car periods ultimately saved the team from difficult internal questions regarding their race management and whether they allowed Mercedes driver George Russell to escape down the road.
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