by 
Max Verstappen will be looking to improve his personal and team performance this weekend as Red Bull attempt to halt their decline and stay at the front of the Formula 1 title race at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
After a run of six races without a win, which coincided with the resurgence of his rivals, the Dutchman arrives in Baku with a 62-point lead in the drivers’ championship over Lando Norris.
His team’s lead over McLaren has also shrunk to just eight points.
Verstappen and Red Bull’s last victory, his 61st, came at the Spanish Grand Prix in June, while teammate Sergio Perez last won on the streets of Baku, his sixth career triumph and his second at last year’s race in Azerbaijan.
Red Bull’s unchallenged dominance, which has kept the team at the top of the Constructors’ Championship for more than two years since the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, will end if McLaren outscores them by nine points on Sunday.
After Aston Martin unveiled Red Bull’s star designer Adrian Newey as its future managing technical partner on Tuesday, another defeat that could push the team off the top of the table could be seen as significant.
Both Verstappen and Mexican Perez have been working hard to find solutions to their dip in form since Charles Leclerc took victory for Ferrari at Monza on September 1.
“Monza was a tough race for us and our priority is to get our form back to where it needs to be,” said Verstappen.
“We always want to be more competitive and the team has worked hard to solve the problems we had.”
“We’ve had a good time to reflect and work since the last race,” said Perez. “Max and I have both been at the factory working to find a solution to the problems.”
“To get back to where we should be on the grid takes a team effort and you can see that every day in Milton Keynes. That’s what brought us all together.”
– Perez recalls memories of Baku –
Perez finished eighth at Monza, two places behind three-time world champion Verstappen, while both Ferraris, both McLarens and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished in the top five.
After a season full of speculation about his future at Red Bull due to a series of poor results, he is happy to return to a place he likes.
He is the only two-time winner in Baku and has scored more points there than any other driver.
“Personally, I really enjoy racing there,” he said. “Street circuits suit my style and Baku is a great track.”
Ferrari will also be full of hope in Baku after its success with an improved car in Monza, where changes to the underbody and other areas proved successful.
But team boss Fred Vasseur stressed that the team will focus on consistency this weekend and not look at the championship standings while chasing Red Bull and McLaren.
“We have to focus on doing a good job every weekend and if something has to jump out for us, it will jump out. It’s not good to focus on the championship and be conservative… from one week to the next everything can change so much.”
With both McLaren and Mercedes having won recent races, a close race is shaping up on the fast and demanding street circuit. Ferrari’s reserve driver Oliver Bearman replaces Kevin Magnussen alongside Nico Hülkenberg at Haas.
Dane Magnussen was banned after accumulating 12 penalty points.
str/jc
