Australian Oscar Piastri has gained an epic Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the second win of his System 1 profession.
The McLaren driver triumphed after an epic duel with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Mercedes driver George Russell completed third following a penultimate lap crash between Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Crimson Bull’s Sergio Perez, who had been battling for the ultimate spot on the rostrum.
McLaren’s Lando Norris completed fourth after beginning the race in fifteenth, beating world championship chief Max Verstappen, who struggled across the streets of Baku, to fifth .
Norris has lowered Verstappen’s benefit within the drivers’ championship to 59 factors with seven grands prix to race.
McLaren introduced within the lead-up to the race that workforce orders could be in place to make sure Piastri labored for Norris, in his pursuit to the drivers’ championship.
However after outclassing the Brit in Monza and qualifying on the entrance row, Piastri despatched a transparent message to McLaren that he’s not a number-two driver on this workforce.
His race-winning transfer on lap 20 previous Leclerc belied the Australian’s inexperience.
“After the cease, I noticed we had been fairly shut,” Piastri stated.
“I felt like we had a bit bit of additional grip and I needed to go for it, as a result of I knew if I did not get previous initially of the stint I used to be by no means going to get previous.
“I went for a reasonably large lunge then clung on for 35 laps. Goes down as one in every of my the higher races of my profession.”
In per week when McLaren stated they’d prioritise his teammate, Oscar Piastri proved he’s a real contender in System 1. (Reuters: Maxim Shemetov)
The consequence means McLaren transfer forward of Crimson Bull to the highest of the constructors’ championship standings with a 20-point lead. It’s the first time McLaren lead the constructors’ championship in a decade.
“Contemplating the place we began after I joined the workforce final 12 months, we had been actually final and now we’re main the championship,’ Piastri stated.
“It is a huge due to the workforce for bettering the automobile however bettering myself as effectively.”
Piastri began second subsequent to pole sitter Charles Leclerc, who was on pole for the fourth consecutive 12 months.
Each beginning on the medium tyres, the Ferrari was clearly the higher of the 2 vehicles as Leclerc managed to safe a wholesome benefit.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc began on pole in Azerbaijan for the fourth straight 12 months.
However as soon as every automobile moved onto the hard-compound tyre the McLaren was clearly sooner.
Piastri made his transfer on lap 20 with a lunge into the primary nook and by no means relinquished the lead.
Leclerc threatened to grab the lead once more for the following 31 laps, however the Australian remained cool within the Baku warmth.
Perez and Sainz threatened to make it a four-way duel for the win however the duo crashed into one another on the penultimate lap, forcing the race to finish beneath a security automobile and permitting Russell to assert a lucky, however well-earned podium.
Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez crashed on the second-last lap as they fought for the rostrum. (F1)
Norris recovers from fifteenth to take small chunk out of Verstappen
Three-time defending drivers’ champion Max Verstappen suffered a irritating day across the streets of Baku.
Regardless of beginning sixth and Norris fifteenth, the Dutch champion completed behind the Brit and had his lead within the drivers’ championship lowered from 62 to 59 factors with seven grands prix to go..
Norris had a catastrophe in qualifying a day earlier, qualifying seventeenth quickest (beginning fifteenth after two vehicles took grid penalties) after being caught out by a yellow flag in Q1.
However the British driver was sensible, transferring as much as the highest 10 by lap eight of 51, as he began on more durable tyres than his rivals in a bid to be on sooner tyres on the finish of the race.
On the halfway level within the race Verstappen, who had pitted, was behind Norris who was on a lot older tyres. However the Crimson Bull star couldn’t overtake the McLaren, regardless of the tyre benefit.
Verstappen was complaining over the workforce radio as he watched Norris, with older tyres, beginning to stretch away from him,
“I’ve no rear grip. The automobile is simply leaping on the rear. Shedding contact,” he stated.
Norris pitted and set himself 14 laps to haul in Verstappen who was 15 seconds up the highway.
The McLaren challenger was methodical in his pursuit of Verstappen, comfortably making the overtake on the first time of asking with three laps to go.
The timing was good for Norris. If he didn’t make the transfer then he probably would have completed behind Verstappen, with the following crash between Sainz and Perez forcing the race to finish beneath the security automobile.
Verstappen is in his longest stretch and not using a race win since 2020 and is clearly combating a automobile that started the season because the clear chief.
Time could also be on the Dutchman’s facet along with his 59-point benefit nonetheless sizeable, if not uncomfortable, with seven weekends left within the season.
