MONDAY MORNING DEBRIEF: Would Perez have beaten Verstappen in Baku without the Safety Car?


Nyck de Vries played an important role in the structure of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but not for the reasons he would have wished for.
His clipping of the Turn 5 barriers on the 10th lap of the race, which broke the AlphaTauri’s track rod (forcing him to a halt on the Turn 6 run-off) created a Safety Car, which effectively switched around the Red Bulls, losing Max Verstappen the lead and handing it to Sergio Perez.
Next Up
Related Articles
What the teams said – Qualifying in Japan
Antonelli soaks up ‘incredible feeling’ after taking Japan pole
Norris 'happy' with P5 Japan start after 'painful' weekend
Piastri encouraged by progress as McLaren get 'closer' to Mercedes
Watch Round 2 of the 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship
Verstappen reacts to 'difficult' Q2 exit in Japan
