Max Verstappen pressed George Russell to the finish line of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Formula 1, but Mercedes assessed that the Briton kept control of the battle for the victory. For Bradley Lord, the team’s deputy chief, the slipstream effect made the Red Bull Racing driver look like a “giant elastic” behind the winner.
Russell was able to open a gap in the middle sector on every lap, but Verstappen regained a significant portion of the ground on the following straights thanks to the tow. According to Lord, the gap even grew to about half a second during the sector before the slipstream pulled the Dutchman back closer again.
“It was as if Max were attached to some kind of giant elastic and George was stretching it. He would literally put half a second on him on each lap in the middle sector. You look at the GPS track, and suddenly he nearly goes vertical when the tow pulls Max back,” Lord explained.
The Mercedes official also noted that Verstappen, at times, seemed to gain more from the tow than from the overtaking aid itself, something he described as “counterintuitive.” Still, Lord stated that the proximity seen in the footage did not represent a real chance to attack.
“Even though it looked very close in the TV images, they obviously shortened the distances a bit. There was no moment when he was close enough to attempt or even consider overtaking. So, I think George had it all under control,” he added.
The mood shifted near the end of the race when an energy-management issue left Russell wary of a possible closing move on the straight to the finish line. Lord labeled the problem as “minor,” but highlighted the British driver’s performance, who managed to preserve the victory by less than two-tenths of a second: “George did an absolutely fantastic job,” Lord wrapped up.
