Max Verstappen and the 'Baku Curse'

It's no secret that over the recent years, Max Verstappen hasn’t had the best races of his career at the Baku Street Circuit in Azerbaijan. In 2017, he retired due to engine failure, in 2018, his race ended abruptly after a collision with teammate Daniel Riccardo, and in 2021, he was denied pole position due to red flags in qualifying. So, based on his previous record, fans were a little concerned going into the 2025 Azerbaijani Grand Prix, especially since Verstappen needs to win all future races if he wants a chance at the Championship this year. 

In qualifying on Saturday, after a record 6 red flags, he walked away with his first Baku pole position, a shocking stat considering his career so far. Fast forward to race day, and Verstappen gets away brilliantly, leading the race from start to finish and easily taking P1. 

When championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed into the wall right out of turn 1, the title fight for Verstappen was immediately back on, with fans believing there's still a chance he can win. Mathematically, it's still possible, and he needs to win every future race, and he’ll be able to snatch the title by 1 point. 

This weekend, Max Verstappen displayed a masterclass performance and shut down rumors that he didn’t have what it took to be in contention for the championship. 

As Will Buxton said, “You can never count Max Verstappen out.”