Max Verstappen was left seething after qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit. The four-time world champion could only manage eighth place, a far cry from his expectations after Red Bull brought a series of upgrades that were believed to restore his competitive edge. However, technical issues with the power unit and battery turned Saturday in Baku into a nightmare.
From the start of the qualifying session, Verstappen sensed something was wrong with his engine. He complained that the motor was not working optimally on the straights, costing him valuable time. “Throughout qualifying, the engine didn't work. We made an adjustment to the car but it didn't give completely positive results. Compared to Isack (Hadjar), I was half a second slower on the straights,” Verstappen said in frustration.
The climax came in Q3. His battery suddenly only charged to half, forcing the team to give him an instruction that made no sense. “In Q3, suddenly the battery doesn't charge. They tell me to push with half battery, and I reply: ‘Yeah, go f*** yourselves’. I'd really had enough. You prepare so well all weekend, the car is good, and then everything falls apart in qualifying, there's nothing you can do about it,” he added.
As a result of the battery issue, Verstappen had to abort his fast lap. The tires became too cold because he couldn't push at maximum. “After that lap, which I had to interrupt because the battery was only half charged, the tires got too cold. Without the battery you can't push and therefore you can't bring the tires to the right temperature. So even on the last lap I didn't have the right grip, in addition to the usual engine problems and with engine braking that is very strange: it's like pulling the handbrake in certain corners. Something is not right at all,” he explained.
This result clearly hurts Verstappen in the title fight. His last win was in Abu Dhabi 2025, and since then he has always been behind. Now he must start the race from the fourth row, while rivals like Mercedes are superior. “I will try to recover, but with Mercedes' superiority and the likely comeback of Kimi Antonelli, it will be difficult to aim for more than a podium,” he concluded.
This disappointment is also a blow to the Red Bull team, who hoped the car updates would restore their dominance. Now they must work hard to fix the technical issues before the race starts. If not, Verstappen's position in the drivers' standings could be further threatened.
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