Red Bull rejects Azerbaijan GP strategy criticism as team orders stance explained

Red Bull Formula 1 chief Laurent Mekies has defended the team’s strategy decisions during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar had been running nose-to-tail during the race but Red Bull refused to intervene despite Hadjar having a tyre advantage over the four-time world champion. 

Comparisons were drawn to Ferrari’s indecision at the Dutch Grand Prix when Lewis Hamilton lost vital race time running directly behind Charles Leclerc and felt he should have been waved through because he was on a superior strategy. 

Red Bull opted against using team orders in Baku and Verstappen eventually pulled clear of his team-mate, before narrowly missing out on securing the team’s first win of 2026 by just 0.196s in a drag-race to the finish against Mercedes’ George Russell. 

Speaking to Sky Sports F1, Red Bull team principal Mekies said: "We looked at all these scenarios, honestly, and then we elected to hold the car in those positions. 

"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 ended up claiming its best result of the season with a double podium finish as Verstappen and Hadjar took second and third on an encouragingly competitive weekend. 

"[Max] was flying all weekend. He was very, very strong all weekend. Probably our strongest weekend this year,” Mekies said. 

"We finished one tenth away from the win after 51 laps so I think that's what it is. But it was good to have the car P2 and P3 on merit.

"A huge well done to everybody back in Milton Keynes. We had our upgrades here, it was a massive work everybody, chassis side and PU side, to extract more out of the package.

"It felt very far away the beginning of the season when the guys were lapping a second faster than us - and we are in that fight now. So a big well done to everyone."