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Red flags, cat drama, and a Constructors’ title that slipped through papaya fingers and Max Verstappen.
Practice Promised Nothing but Chaos
From the moment FP1 began, Baku felt off. The wind was unpredictable, grip levels were inconsistent, and setups across the grid were a guessing game. Drivers struggled to find rhythm, and teams scrambled to adjust strategies that kept shifting with the conditions.
Then came FP2, and Ferrari gave us hope. Lewis Hamilton, now in red, topped the session with a smooth, confident run that made tifosi dream again. It was the kind of performance that whispered, “Maybe this weekend is ours.” FP3 added to the confusion; McLaren bounced back, Red Bull looked quietly dangerous, and Williams showed flashes of pace. But none of it prepared us for what qualifying had in store.
Qualifying Broke Records.. and Cars..!
Baku qualifying wasn’t just messy. It was historic. Six red flags in one session. Six. That’s not a race! It’s a demolition derby.
Here’s how it unfolded:
- Alex Albon was first, crashing at Turn 1 with suspension failure.
- Nico Hulkenberg followed at Turn 4, damaging his front wing.
- Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto both found the same wall at Turn 4 in separate incidents.
- Oliver Bearman clipped the wall at Turn 2, ending his run.
- Charles Leclerc, who looked sharp all weekend, hit the wall at Turn 15.. another heartbreak for Ferrari.
- And finally, Oscar Piastri, the championship leader, crashed at Turn 3. He jumped the start, braked too hard, and never made it past the first sector.
It was a qualifying session that felt more like a survival test. And somehow, Max Verstappen survived it all. He secured his first-ever pole position in Baku, with Carlos Sainz lining up beside him, driving for Williams. Yes, Williams!!
The Cat, the Simba Challenge, and a Name War
Amid the chaos, one paddock guest stole the show: the cat. She/He (Who Knows) wandered through the garages, curled up near tire blankets, and watched qualifying like it had seen it all before.
A fan tweeted mid-session:
Suddenly, it wasn’t just a cat.. it was a symbol. Mercedes tried to claim it, naming it “Kitty Antonelli”. But fans weren’t having it. They renamed it “Furrari”. It’s Ferrari-coded, emotionally invested, and probably faster than half the grid. 😉
Actually Baku had more than one paddock guests from Cat Family. They stayed till the final lap. It’s now part of the lore.
Check wisdoms of your favourite Ferrari fan aka me on the Monza, the heartbroken GP “Monza Meltdown: Verstappen’s Masterclass, Ferrari’s Fall, and the Chaos That Followed“
Race Day: Ferrari’s Therapy Session and McLaren’s Meltdown
Ferrari gave us hope. Again.
Strong pace in practice. Hamilton looked confident. Leclerc was focused.
But by Lap 20, it all unraveled.
Leclerc clipped the wall. Hamilton couldn’t find rhythm.
Ferrari gave us hope, then handed us heartbreak. The tifosi needed therapy by Lap 30.
McLaren joined the emotional breakdown.
Oscar Piastri, who’s historically bad at Baku, lived up to the reputation. He jumped the start, dropped to P20, and crashed at Turn 5. DNF.
Lando Norris clipped the wall, got stuck in a DRS train, and had another slow pit stop.
The pit crew fumbled the timing, and the papaya boys couldn’t recover.
P7 was all Norris could salvage.
The Constructors’ title? Slipped through papaya fingers.
Max Verstappen Wins. Sainz Shines.
Max Verstappen led every lap and won the race from pole. It was clinical, dominant, and untouchable. George Russell came second, battling illness and still delivering a masterclass in consistency.
But the real story? Carlos Sainz. He finished third.. his first podium for Williams, and the team’s first full-race podium since 2017. It wasn’t just a result. It was a statement.
Sainz called it “the best podium of my career.”
We call it: Smooth Operator, activated.
What’s Next: Singapore Grand Prix, October 3–5
Singapore is next. A night race. A sweat fest. A strategy trap.
Practice starts on October 3. Race ends on October 5.
Last year’s results were a McLaren masterclass:
Lando Norris won.
Max Verstappen finished second.
Oscar Piastri took third.
But after Baku? Everything’s up in the air.
Verstappen is back in title mode.
McLaren needs redemption.
Sainz is glowing.
And Furrari? It’s coming too..? Who knows.. Will update later this week.. 🙁
Next race update drops October 5 on YoungThare.com … Stay tuned buddies…!!
You came all the way to down here, why don’t you check out “After the Break, the Storm: Formula One’s Final Act Begins at Zandvoort“, Huh?
