Max Verstappen finished second at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the Baku City Circuit, crossing the finish line just two tenths of a second behind race winner George Russell. The Red Bull Racing driver nearly secured his first victory of the year, falling just short after starting from eighth place due to significant engine issues encountered during qualifying on Friday.
Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies spoke out after the race about the difficulties faced by the four-time F1 world champion. Mekies acknowledged that Red Bull might have won if they had given the Dutch driver a better engine from the start of the weekend. According to Mekies, the team faced two different problems regarding the power unit on Friday, which cost them significantly. Thanks to a new engine installed on Saturday morning, Verstappen was able to achieve a very high top speed in the final sector, allowing him to return to a competitive level.
Engine problems and Qualification in Baku
Verstappen faced a challenging start to the weekend on the Baku City Circuit, where he dealt with major problems with his Red Bull Powertrains-motor during Friday’s qualifying session. Starting from eighth position made a victory seem unlikely, yet Verstappen showed strong form and nearly claimed the win, finishing only two tenths behind Russell with a power unit that had caused major trouble just a day earlier. Mekies noted that without the motor problems, Verstappen probably would have contended for the front row of the starting grid or even more.
Narrow Power Source Work Window
Mekies revealed insights regarding the Red Bull power unit, explaining that while the engine is very strong, it shares a narrow operating window with the RB22. This small range makes it difficult to find the proper setup that allows Verstappen and Hadjar to remain fast while keeping the power unit reliable. Mekies stated that the team has a fantastic motor, but its optimal performance range is quite narrow, requiring a tremendous amount of energy from everyone in Milton Keynes and at the circuit to maintain it within that ideal window.
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