In an extraordinary display of racing skill, Oscar Piastri took first place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, fighting tooth and nail until the finish line with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the city of Baku. Representing McLaren, Piastri’s victory came after a nerve-racking endurance match and following a head-to-head race that lasted nearly 30 laps.
Lando Norris, who is also in the running for the title, managed a spectacular comeback from the 15th position, ending in fourth place thus preserving his championship aspirations. Norris’ completion ahead of title opponent, Max Verstappen, who secured fifth place, was exceptionally remarkable.
Mercedes’ George Russell claimed fourth position post a late-race collision that led to the elimination of both Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Conversely, Lewis Hamilton had to settle for ninth place after a race that saw him begin from the end of the line owing to an engine penalty.
The race had seen Leclerc in the lead initially post a strong start from the pole position, but Piastri managed to overtake him after the sole round of pit stops. Describing the experience as “the most stressful weekend of my life”, Piastri hailed the race as extraordinary.
Despite starting from the 15th position due to a qualifying hitch, Norris performed an impressive task with McLaren, resulting in outracing his title competitor. The British racer now lags behind by 59 points with seven races left, but his team McLaren have managed to overtake Red Bull in the constructors’ championship rankings.
This win marks Piastri’s second in the last five races, having already landed two second positions and his first F1 victory in Hungary in July. While there was speculation about the use of team orders to favour Norris, Norris notably supported Piastri by slowing down Pérez post the pit stops.
As the race went on, Leclerc maintained his lead with Norris making headway from his starting position. By the ninth lap, Leclerc began to build his lead with a chain of record laps while Verstappen communicated to his team that he was experiencing problems with his vehicle.
During the 13th lap, Red Bull made a tactical decision to pit him. A lap later, Pérez attempted an undercut, even as Piastri and Leclerc remained in the race. Emerging behind Norris and McLaren, Pérez found himself in a tricky situation, particularly considering the previous team’s orders in Norris’s favour. The British driver was asked to slow down Pérez, which proved to be a decision of considerable significance.
Piastri entered the pit on the 16th lap and emerged ahead of Pérez, thanks to Norris’s interference. On the 17th lap, Leclerc pitted, followed by Sainz on the subsequent lap. The reshuffling saw Piastri ascends the most. Despite having a sluggish pit stop and slow outbound lap, Leclerc managed to maintain his lead but was closely followed by Piastri. However, on the 20th lap, Piastri outstripped Leclerc with his DRS and took the lead for the first time.
By the midpoint, Piastri, Norris, and Pérez were closely lined up, with only a gap of a second between them. However, as the tyres played into Leclerc’s favour, he mounted a pursual. The duel between the two drivers continued into the 29th lap, with Piastri narrowly holding onto his position.
On the 33rd lap, the competitors went wheel to wheel again, with Leclerc trying to outmanoeuvre Piastri but to no avail, as he defended his position skillfully. There was not much to choose between the top two, until the 38th lap, when McLaren finally pitted Norris. He rejoined in seventh place, trailing Verstappen by 15 seconds. Despite the challenging situation, the team believed that he could overtake Verstappen with his fresh tyres and 13 laps remaining.
As the race progressed, Piastri and Leclerc remained locked in an intense duel, as they consistently took turns one and two. However, Piastri was able to maintain his lead, unfettered by Leclerc’s relentless pursuit. With eight laps to go, Norris was within nine seconds of Verstappen and made a stunning comeback on the 49th lap, sweeping past the Dutch driver.
Despite his relentless attempts, Leclerc was unable to break through the front line – a struggle that took a toll on his tyres. During the second-to-last lap, Pérez challenged him and in the midst of the skirmish, Sainz managed to overtake the Mexican. Contact was made between Pérez and Sainz on the back straight resulting in both cars crashing into the wall, fortunately both drivers escaped unscathed. This incident prompted the launch of the virtual safety car and ultimately, Piastri seized a well-earned victory.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso clinched the sixth spot, while Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto were able to secure the seventh and eighth positions, respectively, for Williams. Oliver Bearman claimed the 10th position for Haas. – The Guardian