Max Verstappen matches Lewis Hamilton feat with ‘incredible’ Baku triumph

Max Verstappen has matched Lewis Hamilton's F1 grand slam figure
after triumphing at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday. Verstappen
started the race from pole position and dismissed the challenge
from his rivals in the opening lap, despite being equipped with a
harder tyre. After surviving an early safety car restart following
a crash for championship leader Oscar Piastri, the four-time
champion extended his stint deep into the race. Verstappen was one
of the last to make his pit stops and emerged back at the head of
the pack. By leading every lap from pole position and setting the
fastest lap, Verstappen grabbed his sixth career grand slam,
matching Lewis Hamilton's figure. The overall record is still held
by Jim Clark, with eight. “This weekend has been incredible for
us,” Verstappen said. “Of course, last weekend was already great.
“For us to win here again is just fantastic. Also the race, the car
was working really well on both of the compounds.  “We had clean
air all the time, and you could then look after your tyres. It was
pretty straightforward.  “It's not easy around here, it was very
windy today, so the car is always moving around a lot. Incredibly
happy with this performance.” The grand prix was a much calmer
affair compared to qualifying, with just one safety car being a
stark contrast to the six red flags that were deployed on Saturday.
Verstappen stated it was only natural as the drivers took a more
cautious approach compared to qualifying in the race. “In the race,
you have to be a little bit more careful,” he said. “Also with tyre
management and stuff you want to make the one stop work.  “Everyone
was a bit more cautious with that anyway. Plus, the compounds that
we were running today, medium and hard, they weren't really used
that much up until today.  “That all helped. For sure, I was happy
that there were not too many safety cars!”