1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has backed Red Bull’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix strategy.
During the closing stages of the race on the demanding Baku City Circuit, Max Verstappen and team-mate Isack Hadjar were running 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 to allow the French-Algerian driver to attack the cars ahead.
Verstappen managed to pull away in the final laps to mount a challenge to race winner George Russell. Verstappen ultimately finished second, just 0.196 seconds behind the Mercedes driver. Hadjar, who had been out with a wrist injury for six weeks, finished third.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast, Villeneuve dismissed suggestions that Red Bull should have swapped its drivers, praising the Laurent Mekies-led team’s reading of the race.
“It was perfect,” the Canadian 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 [in the final laps].
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Alex Pantling / LAT Images via Getty Images
“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.”
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