1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has thrown his support behind Red Bull's decision not to swap Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Canadian believes the team's strategy was spot on.
In the closing stages of the race at the demanding Baku City Circuit, Verstappen and Hadjar ran one behind the other. Although Hadjar had a tyre advantage, the Milton Keynes outfit chose not to instruct the four-time champion to yield track position. Verstappen pulled away in the final laps to challenge race winner George Russell, ultimately finishing second just 0.196 seconds behind. Hadjar, returning from a six-week wrist injury, completed the podium in third.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Villeneuve dismissed suggestions that Red Bull should have swapped its drivers, praising the Laurent Mekies-led team's race reading. "It was perfect," Villeneuve said. "There was no reason to ask Max to let Isack by. Hadjar was on the better tyre and the lap time was similar to Max. So at one point they would swap over the tyre and, as we've seen, Max built an eight-second gap on Hadjar. Max had a better chance of getting to the front so they did the right thing."
Mekies confirmed the team did consider its options regarding team orders. "We looked at all these scenarios, honestly, and then we elected to hold the car in those positions," the team chief told Sky Sports F1. "Both drivers have been very good at being disciplined with that. Big well done also to Isack who has raced very cleverly to make sure we get the best team result. We felt it was the best chance to get a chance at Piastri and at Russell. It's very difficult here not to count on a safety car at some stage. We were all waiting for the safety car. Max was struggling with the medium at that stage and we knew that on the soft we would have a better chance. Ultimately, that's what happened. We are missing one tenth but we got a chance to fight with him and show we had the same pace."
Red Bull's call highlights the fine margins in a team under pressure. Verstappen, in the hunt for the championship, needs every point. Meanwhile, Hadjar impressed on his return. Had Red Bull swapped positions, the outcome might have differed. But Villeneuve and Mekies' analysis suggests keeping Verstappen ahead was the most rational move given the four-time champion's speed and experience.
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