What Happened to Max Verstappen at the 2021 Azerbaijan GP in Baku?

Disaster, devastation, and endless frustration. Max Verstappen‘s races in Azerbaijan have been plagued by misfortune for years. The Baku circuit seems to have a vendetta against the young Dutch driver, throwing unexpected obstacles in his path just when victory seems within reach. It’s a tale of heartbreak and missed opportunities as Verstappen’s hopes of glory have been dashed time and time again on the treacherous streets of Baku, until, of course, his win last year.

In contrast to his usual stellar performances on other tracks, Verstappen’s weekends in Baku have been filled with unexpected twists and turns. From inexplicable collisions to sudden tire blowouts, it seems like fate has a grudge against Verstappen in Azerbaijan. Out of the five runs at the Baku City Circuit, the Dutchman has only finished twice and holds only a single podium and P4 finish in 2019.

So now, looking back at the incidents in Baku when Max failed to finish, there’s always a new reason for his fallout. From common ones such as power failure to one of the most atrocious and rare ones in recent times, the tire explosion, he has seen it all.

However, all this took a backseat when he went flying past the grid and finished 20 seconds ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez, who was second to cross the checkered flag. The incidents have been thrilling. Let’s have a look at how misery has fallen upon Max in Baku over the years.

What happened to Max Verstappen during the 47th lap?

The lap in question took place during the 2021 championship. Max Verstappen went into the race with a minuscule lead of four points over the then-reigning champion Lewis Hamilton. He bravely led the race with four seconds between him and his teammate, running second until his eventual tire blowout down the main straight on the 47th lap. It sent him right into the barriers and gave us the iconic picture of him kicking the wheel of his RB16B in anger.

The crash also meant that the red flag would come out, with Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez taking the front row. Meaning, potentially, a podium finish for the Briton, handing him a crucial lead. But that day, the clouds weren’t only on Verstappen’s head, as Lewis Hamilton made a brutal error and went straight out of points at the restart.

Smoke billowed from the front of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, setting off a chain reaction of unexpected consequences. Despite initially picking up speed with finesse, Hamilton’s car veered off course, going straight instead of making the anticipated left turn, thanks to the magic button. The shocking turn of events resulted in a disappointing 15th-place finish for Hamilton, while Max Verstappen retained his position at the top of the championship standings.

Max Verstappen and the curse of Baku

One of the most highlighted battles of Max Verstappen’s career took place here. And it was up against no one but his teammate Daniel Ricciardo. The crash between the two occurred at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, on lap 40, while they were battling for position all over the race. The crash, which resulted in the retirement of both Red Bulls, is said to be one of the major reasons behind the honey badger’s departure from the Milton-Keynes-based outfit. 

Whereas, in the first Azerbaijan GP held in 2017, he suffered an oil pressure issue, forcing him to retire early, while Ricciardo took the win. Christian Horner beautifully described the contrasts of the race, as quoted by Reuters: “We were totally depressed after the first quarter of the race. Max was going faster and faster and (then we lost) him with an engine failure. Daniel’s race then began to come alive. He was making great progress. He nailed it. He was very consistent over those final 20 laps, found a great rhythm and was able to bring it home and close the race out. I think I aged about 10 years. There was every emotion you could imagine in that race.”

Max, in 2019, finished P4 and bagged 12 points, only for his bad luck to return and haunt him the next time the circus raced in the country. While the Dutchman has struggled in the past here, the track has been lucky for Red Bull. Out of the five weekends held here, the team has snagged three, with Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Perez, and Max Verstappen taking the highest step on the podium. This is especially shocking as two of these victories came when Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were forces to be reckoned with.

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The Red Bull driver has bossed around on several circuits. And so have the other drivers. But Baku remains up for grabs, as the throne of the King of Baku remains empty, with no driver having won it more than once. This time, however, he goes in as a favorite to win the race, much like last year.

While leading the championship, the bigger challenge for Max would be to fend off the challenge in the sprint race, as well as the main race, which could be a make or break for the time to come ahead.