Max Verstappen impressed the international press with his excellent performance at the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Dutchman started in eighth and crossed the finish line just 0.196 seconds behind the winner, George Russell.
In the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the final duel was described as “nail-biting.” It also emphasized that “0.196s. Less than 0.2s, almost nothing. However, it was enough to guarantee Russell the best victory of his season. With a late sprint and pressed up until the last lap by an exceptional Max Verstappen, the British Mercedes driver clinched the victory in Azerbaijan.”
Meanwhile, in Spain, AS also opted for a dramatic ending to frame its call. “Two tenths in the chaos,” the publication wrote, while also highlighting the duel between the two at the top two positions.
“It cannot be said that the race was evenly matched. Mercedes opened a gap, and Max had to stage a comeback, starting from eighth. After the last safety-car appearance, he stayed glued to the rival as best as he could, but he never even had a real chance to overtake. On the straights he closed in; in the corners, Russell increased the distance again.”
No Bild, o jornal alemão, reforçou a comunicação entre a dupla da Red Bull. “Caos nas ultrapassagens em torno de Verstappen e grandes acidentes”, colocou no título principal.
“The pit wall gives him the chance to overtake the Dutchman. Hadjar refuses. It marks the beginning of chaos in overtakes within the team. A few minutes later, Verstappen warns: ‘The tires simply aren’t good!’ Hadjar then reports Verstappen’s situation to the Red Bull pit wall: ‘Tell him to keep his foot down!’”
Finally, The Independent, the British publication, praised George Russell for his performance in getting back into contention after losing ground to Kimi Antonelli. “George Russell rejoined the title fight by holding off Max Verstappen and winning the thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday by just one-tenth of a second, while his title rival, Kimi Antonelli, finished in fifth.”
“Russell had almost thrown in the towel after the last round in Madrid, where Antonelli claimed his eighth victory of the year, widening his lead in the standings to 81 points,” it concluded.
