Max Verstappen didn’t mince his words after the chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where a dramatic last-lap crash between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz led to frustration for both drivers and raised eyebrows from the reigning world champion. The Dutch driver, clearly upset, took aim at the FIA for their decision to deploy a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) instead of a full Safety Car following the incident that left both cars smashed against the wall.
Perez, having one of his strongest outings in recent memory, had been running in contention after out-qualifying Verstappen, securing P4 on the grid. However, a crash on lap 50 with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz destroyed his race, leaving him empty-handed at the end of what could have been a stellar performance. While Perez’s personal disappointment was evident, Verstappen’s frustration was directed squarely at the race stewards.
Verstappen expressed his disbelief at the FIA’s delay in responding to the crash, arguing that the VSC wasn’t sufficient given the severity of the incident. “You should have sent out a Safety Car straight away,” Verstappen vented. “I don’t get it. There are two cars right in the wall, and I don’t understand why it has to take so long. And then there’s a double yellow — why double? Just put out the Safety Car.”
The double yellow flags, which signal extreme caution but allow racing to continue under restricted conditions, weren’t enough in Verstappen’s eyes. The Dutchman criticized the stewards’ indecision, highlighting the debris and wreckage strewn across the track as reason enough to immediately neutralize the race with a full Safety Car to ensure safety.
This incident only added to a weekend of frustrations for Verstappen, who has been facing challenges both on and off the track. In the lead-up to the Azerbaijan GP, Red Bull made several adjustments to their cars, aiming to improve their competitiveness. While the tweaks appeared to benefit Sergio Perez, Verstappen was left struggling with balance issues throughout the weekend. Despite the team’s best efforts, Verstappen qualified a disappointing P6, a setback that reflected lingering issues with the setup.
“There were positives with the changes we made, but it’s still about getting the right setup,” Verstappen explained. “The last tweaks we made before qualifying just pushed things too far and threw off the balance of the car.”
Adding salt to the wound, Red Bull’s woes continued as they lost the lead in the Constructors’ Championship to a surging McLaren. With McLaren capitalizing on Red Bull’s misfortunes, Verstappen and the team now find themselves needing to regroup as they face an uphill battle in the closing stages of the season.
For now, Verstappen’s sights are set on recovering from what he believes was a missed opportunity in Baku, but his anger towards the FIA is likely to fuel more heated debates as the season progresses.
