Max Verstappen claimed a commanding win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading from lights to flag to win the sixth Grand Slam of his career. It is his 67th career victory and fourth of the season, and Laurent Mekies points to qualifying as the key.For the Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal, Baku was his second win as team principal, five races into his tenure after replacing Christian Horner. Reflecting on the performance, Mekies said (via Team Debrief):"This win started with a Max masterclass in Qualifying yesterday. We didn’t know what race pace would be like as nobody really got any long runs on Friday, but he just pulled away lap after lap, another Grand Chelem, Pole, in the lead from start to finish and setting the fastest lap. The win is down to everyone in Milton Keynes pushing so hard to make the car faster."The four-time world champion converted pole into an early advantage, keeping Carlos Sainz behind on the run to Turn 1 despite starting on harder tyres. As chaos unfolded behind, including Oscar Piastri’s false start and crash, Max Verstappen built a gap that never came under real threat.Verstappen started the race on Hards and comfortably rejoined in the lead, switching to mediums for the final stint, and won by a margin of 14 seconds on the finish line. The late challenge came from George Russell, who undercut Sainz for second, but Verstappen remained unmatched. For the first time, he looked in complete control at Baku, a track where he hadn't fared well in the past.The result also brought a boost for his teammate. Yuki Tsunoda achieved his strongest finish for Red Bull with a P6, showcasing the impact of Mekies on the team.Max Verstappen plays down title talk after back-to-back wins: "I personally don’t think about it"George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri before the F1 Canada GP. Source: GettyTwo weeks after winning at Monza from pole, Max Verstappen repeated the feat in Baku. It was a statement weekend, particularly with new floor upgrades helping him close the gap to McLaren in high-speed corners. The championship picture remains tilted toward the papaya cars, but the Dutchman is in striking distance.Oscar Piastri still holds his lead with 324 points despite his DNF in Azerbaijan. Lando Norris sits second on 299 and Verstappen on 255, 69 points from the top with seven races left. The momentum shift hasn’t gone unnoticed. When asked about the title fight in the post-race press conference, the Red Bull driver brushed aside speculation and said:"I don’t rely on hope. But it’s seven rounds left, 69 points is a lot. So I personally don’t think about it. I just go race by race, what I have been doing basically the whole season. Just trying to do the best we can, try to score the most points that we can. And then after Abu Dhabi, we’ll know."While it was a typically measured response, the calendar may yet play to his strengths. Tracks such as Interlagos, COTA, and Abu Dhabi all feature high-speed sectors, and Red Bull’s upgraded RB21 looked particularly sharp in Monza. McLaren, by contrast, has struggled at similar layouts this year, leaving the door wide open.For now, Max Verstappen insists the focus stays narrow as Formula 1 resumes on October 5 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore.