Ralf Schumacher praises Verstappen’s Azerbaijan drive

Verstappen started eighth after engine trouble in qualifying, reached third within a few laps and passed Oscar Piastri at a restart before finishing behind George Russell. Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher called Verstappen’s performance exceptional in remarks from the *Backstage Boxengasse* podcast quoted by RacingNews365 Nederland on 30 September.

Schumacher acknowledged that Verstappen had softer tyres late in the race, but argued that they gave him no particular advantage over Russell. He also said the safety car had helped Verstappen close the gap, suggesting the chase would have been harder without it. Those were Schumacher’s assessments of the race.

Schumacher also praised Hadjar, who took a podium, for what he saw as tactical support for Verstappen. He argued that keeping Hadjar would give Red Bull stability, rather than suggesting a driver change was imminent.