Oscar Piastri passed Charles Leclerc for the lead on lap 20 and held off the Ferrari driver to win a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The race ended under a virtual safety car due to Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz’s dramatic late crash that had huge implications for the finishing order as well as the constructors standings. George Russell finished third, while Lando Norris drove from 15th to fourth as McLaren wrested the lead in the constructors standings.
“I tried at the start of the race to get in front but once I dropped out of DRS [range] I just didn’t have the pace,” Piastri said. “After the stop, I saw we were pretty close again, and I felt like we had a little bit of extra grip, and I had to go for it.
“I knew that if I didn’t get past at the start of the stint, I was never going to get past, so I went for a pretty big lunge but managed to pull it off and then hang on for dear life for the next 35 laps.
“The last couple of laps, once [Leclerc] dropped out of DRS, were a little bit more relaxing, but there’s no such thing as a relaxing lap around here, so it was hard work. It definitely goes down as one of the better races of my career.”
Max Verstappen finished fifth, Fernando Alonso took sixth, and the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto came home seventh and eighth, respectively. Lewis Hamilton salvaged a ninth-place result after starting from the pit lane due to an engine change. Oliver Bearman, driving in place of Kevin Magnussen for Haas, grabbed the final points-paying position.
In the driver standings, Norris picked up three points on Verstappen, and now trails his friend and rival by 59 points, 313 to 254. Leclerc is third with 235 points, with Piastri lurking 13 points back.
In the constructor standings, McLaren’s 38-point haul (coupled with Red Bull’s 10 points) moved them ahead of Red Bull, 476 to 456. Ferrari is third with 425.
The Race
Leclerc screamed off the line to lead into Turn 1 while Perez jumped Sainz for third and Verstappen overtook Russell for fifth.
Norris, starting 15th, picked up two spots at the start and two more by lap 3. Lance Stroll suffered a puncture on the first lap, but luckily was able to make it to the pits without troubling anyone else.
Piastri kept Leclerc in DRS range through lap 4, setting a fastest lap on lap 2. Leclerc responded with a fastest lap of his own on lap 4 to keep the McLaren at bay.
Hamilton, who started from the pit lane after an engine change, was up to 15th on lap 5, hoping to make up for a disappointing qualifying effort after being fastest in Free Practice 2 on Friday (September 14th).
The Williams duo of rookie Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon ran 8-9 on lap 7, while 18-year-old Oliver Bearman, subbing for the suspended Kevin Magnussen, ran 10th. F1’s talented youth were making their presence known.
Norris picked off Bearman on lap 8 for 10th and eyed the two Williams in front to move further into the points. It would take a miracle for Norris to make up ground on Verstappen in the championship, but he wanted to make sure he was in position to take advantage, should that miracle occur.
Leclerc opened up a three-second lead on Piastri by lap 10, and so far, the outlook for the Ferrari driver’s second consecutive win has been bright. Piastri maintained a comfortable lead over Perez, who, like Verstappen, complained of a lack of grip in his Red Bull.
Norris was up to eight on lap 12 as cars ahead of him began to make their pit stops. Up front, Leclerc was in a groove, now almost five seconds ahead of Piastri.
Verstappen and Russell both pitted on lap 13 for hard tires and emerged in 10th and 12th, respectively. Perez was in a lap later, also for hard tires, and returned to the track in sixth.
Piastri was losing time and in danger of being undercut by Perez. McLaren asked Norris if he could do anything to hold up Perez without hurting himself. Norris agreed, and Piastri pitted and came out just ahead of Perez. Unusually good teamwork from McLaren!
Leclerc and Sainz ran 1-2 now, and Leclerc pitted on lap 17. With fresh hard tires, Leclerc returned in second and would assume the lead once Sainz pitted. Sainz pitted a lap later, and Leclerc was back in the lead, with Albon between him and Piastri. Piastri was soon past Albon, and slotted in about 1-5 seconds behind Leclerc.
Piastri overtook Leclerc on lap 20 at Turn 1 for the lead, and Piastri continued to make his case as McLaren’s priority. Leclerc stayed within DRS range and hounded the McLaren, while simultaneously keeping an eye on Perez right on his tail.
Less than two seconds separated the top 3, and it was quite refreshing to see three cars in a battle for the lead. Leclerc was still hot on Piastri’s rear, and the Ferrari had created a little breathing room from the Perez attack.
Sainz got by Norris for fifth, leaving Verstappen right on Norris’ gear box. Norris, still on old tires, defended masterfully, and held off the Red Bull as Verstappen noted that his brakes were not ideal. Norris’ effort here would be crucial in McLaren’s constructors battle with Red Bull.
At the halfway point, the order was Piastri, Leclerc, Perez, Sainz, Albon, Norris, Verstappen, Russell, Alonso, and Colapinto.
Leclerc made a run into Turn 1 on lap 29, but Piastri defended and maintained the lead. Leclerc made a similar attempt on lap 31 and again was unsuccessful.
Leclerc again took a run at Piastri on lap 33, and again the McLaren made all the right moves. Perez had the best view of the Piastri-Leclerc battle, and could have been waiting for the two to make a mistake and open the door for Perez.
Norris, still on old tires, was setting good lap times in clean air as the team considered when to pit. The longer Norris could make his hard tires viable, the greater his advantage would be once he pitted for mediums.
Up front, Piastri and Leclerc had distanced themselves a bit from Perez, with Piastri driving masterfully and Leclerc frustrated at his continued failed attempts to make the pass.
Norris finally pitted on lap 38 for medium tires and emerged in seventh, 15 seconds behind Verstappen. If Norris could somehow catch and pass Verstappen, it would be a monumental boost to Norris’ confidence, not to mention a net gain in the points. Norris immediately set a fastest lap and was in 100% push mode with plenty of tire life to carry him to the end.
Perez began to inch up on Leclerc and Piastri, well within striking distance should the two get just a bit out of sorts in their battle for the lead. With eight laps left and backmarkers soon to be involved, this battle was about to get even more exciting. And even Sainz was making his presence known!
While Leclerc continued to stalk Piastri, Norris was doing the same to Verstappen, on pace to be on the Red Bull’s tail with about two laps left.
Piastri put in a strong lap 46 and opened up a 1.5 second lead over Leclerc, who now had to fend off Perez, and possibly Sainz. Piastri had the win in the bag now; the final two podium positions were still in doubt.
With three laps to go, Norris was in DRS range of Verstappen and on the attack. Norris easily made the pass down into Turn 1 and a crucial two more points than Verstappen, plus an extra point for fastest lap should he maintain it.
Up front, Piastri’s was pulling away and his lead was a commanding four seconds. Leclerc held off Perez’s pass attempt for second, but in doing so opened the door for Sainz to get by Perez. Then, as Perez and Sainz raced side by side for third, they made contact and both crashed into the inside wall. The accident brought out a Virtual Safety Car and Piastri coasted to the win, with Leclerc taking second, and Russell benefitting from the Sainz-Perez clash to grab the final podium spot.
The Good
This may have been the most exciting non-rain-impacted race in recent memory, with nearly 30 laps of Leclerc trying to find his way around Piastri, often separated by just fractions of a second. Throw in the added twists and turns of Perez and Sainz entering the scene later in the race, and a Norris-Verstappen battle for position (albeit a very short battle), there was intensity all over the track. Plus a controversial crash that will surely resonate for races to come! In a season in which races have been won by 20+ seconds, it was thrilling to see four cars within three seconds of each other this late in a race, something that’s almost unheard of in F1.
With Williams’ 21-year-old Franco Colapinto finishing eighth and Haas’ 19-year-old Oliver Bearman taking tenth, we witnessed part of F1’s impressive youth movement. While the Perez-Sainz crash had something to do with Colapinto’s and Bearman’s results, it can’t be considered a fluke, because both drivers qualified in the exact position they finished.
And three cheers for Norris, who, when asked if he could hold up Perez for the benefit of Piastri early in the race just before Piastri pitted, agreed to do it immediately and without hesitation. I guess it is true: a McLaren driver can think of someone other than himself. I was “mini” team orders, but team orders nonetheless.
The Bad
Who is to blame for the Sergio Perez-Carlos Sainz crash? They both are. The contact was totally unnecessary; the two were racing down a straightaway, with plenty of room on either side. Then, I guess, they decided now was the time to have an ‘ego-measuring’ contest. Did Sainz move slightly left? Did Perez move slightly right? Who knows for sure. What we do know is that they both took a hard left afterward into the wall.
I’m sure they were both summoned into the stewards’ office afterwards, then were later called into the McLaren hauler, where they were likely presented with balloons that said “Thank you very much!” Without that crash, McLaren doesn’t skip away from Baku with a 20-point lead over Red Bull in the constructors standings, and a 51-point edge over Ferrari.
Grid Walk Moments
No Martin Brundle=No entertaining Grid Walk. Note to Sky Sports: Grid Walk should mean grid interviews. Ted Kravitz and Jacques Villeneuve just had a chat as they walked the grid. And, Flavio Briatore was on the grid, with former main squeeze, supermodel Naomi Campbell no less, who was serving an honorary checkered flag waver. You can best believe Martin Brundle would have asked those two the hard questions, like, “Are you both violating restraining orders by being here this close to each other?” And, the important follow-up questions, like “I realize you may not be able to answer this because of non-disclosure agreements, but I’m going to ask anyway—are you too dating? And, is there a prenup?”
I didn’t even recognize Sky Sport’s Jacques Villeneuve at first, mostly because he looked like Walter White’s alter ego and methamphetamine kingpin Heisenberg from “Breaking Bad,” if he lost the goatee and was dressed like he was going to a Pearl Jam concert. What exactly does Villeneuve do these days?
The Disappointing
In the span of seconds, Sergio Perez went from a likely podium finish to a DNF, thanks to his crash with Carlos Sainz. Perez, who’s won twice in Baku, was running by far his best race of the season and easily outperforming Verstappen. In fact, Perez was picking up the slack for his teammate, who was struggling. But then, two drivers who refused to give an inch (more on that later) cost Perez (and Sainz) strong results and crucial points just when it looked like Perez was getting his mojo back.
Starting on the pole, Leclerc’s confidence at Baku was sky-high. You could tell before the race, when Leclerc received his pre-race pit lane spritzing, that he was feeling good about capturing his second consecutive win. But a lapse in concentration on lap 20 allowed Piastri to make what looked like an easy pass, with Leclerc not putting up much of a defense. Did Leclerc think he had the faster car and could regain the position later? Leclerc probably did have the faster car, but Baku’s street circuit layout left him with really only one place to attempt a legitimate pass, the front straight into Turn 1. Leclerc made several lunges there, but Piastri always had the defense. The result: a disappointing runner-up.
The Driver
Piastri exacted his revenge on Leclerc and Ferrari, who snatched the win from Piastri and McLaren at Monza on September 1st. Piastri pitted two laps before Leclerc, and that added tire temperature may have been the edge Piastri needed to pass Leclerc on lap 20 for the lead.
Piastri’s win came just days after McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team would give Norris priority over Piastri in Norris’ championship battle with Verstappen. McLaren seems unable to make either of their drivers feel totally valued. But if it was just a ploy to motivate Piastri, it worked like a charm.
Honorable mention to Lando Norris, who turned a 15th-place start into a fourth-place finish—and more importantly, a fourth-place finish that was one spot ahead of Verstappen, who started sixth. Still, though, it feels like a lost opportunity for Norris. Had he advanced to Q3 on Saturday (September 14th), we could be talking about Norris winning the race and taking more of a chunk out of Verstappen’s championship lead.
When the season is over, and Norris reflects, he’s going to look back on the 7 to 15 races in which he left points on the table, either as a result of his driving, poor team strategy, terrible starts, lack of clarity on team orders, more terrible starts, boneheaded qualifying mistakes, mental lapses, or his team making him a priority too late into the season and realize he could have been a world champion.
The Results (Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit)
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/retired | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 51 | 1:32:58.007 | 25 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 51 | +10.910s | 18 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 51 | +31.328s | 15 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 51 | +36.143s | 13 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 51 | +77.098s | 10 |
| 6 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 51 | +85.468s | 8 |
| 7 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 51 | +87.396s | 6 |
| 8 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 51 | +89.541s | 4 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 51 | +92.401s | 2 |
| 10 | 50 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 51 | +93.127s | 1 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 51 | +93.465s | 0 |
| 12 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 51 | +117.189s | 0 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 51 | +146.907s | 0 |
| 14 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 51 | +148.841s | 0 |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 50 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 50 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| 18 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 49 | DNF | 0 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 45 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 14 | DNF | 0 |
| * Provisional results. Note – Norris scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. | ||||||
