Jacques Villeneuve Backs Red Bull Team Order Strategy at Azerbaijan GP

Former Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has defended Red Bull's strategy at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where the team decided against issuing team orders between Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Speaking on Sky Sports F1, Villeneuve praised the team's reading of the race under Laurent Mekies and dismissed suggestions that the drivers should have swapped positions.

During the closing stages of the race at the Baku City Circuit, Hadjar was running behind Verstappen with a tyre advantage. However, Red Bull chose not to instruct four-time champion Verstappen to yield track position. Verstappen subsequently built an eight-second gap over Hadjar in the final laps and finished second, just 0.196 seconds behind Mercedes driver and race winner George Russell. Hadjar, who was returning from a six-week absence due to a wrist injury, finished third.

Villeneuve stated that the team's approach was "perfect," noting that Verstappen had a better chance of reaching the front. He explained that although Hadjar was on better tyres, their lap times were initially similar before Verstappen pulled away in the closing phase of the race.

Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies confirmed that the team evaluated all scenarios regarding team orders before electing to hold positions. Mekies explained that maintaining positions offered the best opportunity to challenge Russell and Oscar Piastri, while praising both drivers for their discipline and highlighting Hadjar's clever driving to achieve the best result for the team.