Azerbaijan GP: McLaren's Piastri wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of pole-sitter Leclerc
Oscar Piastri, at the age of 23, achieved a remarkable second victory in his promising career on Sunday, steering his McLaren to a well-executed win over Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, aged 26, during a gripping Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
This triumph allowed McLaren to ascend to the top of the constructors' championship, displacing Red Bull and ending their two-year reign. The race concluded under a Virtual Safety Car following a dramatic late collision between Carlos Sainz of Ferrari and Red Bull's Sergio Perez as they contended for third place.
George Russell secured third for Mercedes, finishing ahead of Lando Norris, who, despite starting from 15th on the grid, managed to surpass three-time champion and current series leader Max Verstappen of Red Bull, who finished in fifth place.
"That was the most stressful afternoon of my life," Piastri remarked over the team radio.
"What a significant move! Thank you for the car! What an incredible day! I appreciate everyone’s efforts."
Norris, who earned an additional point for achieving the fastest lap, narrowed Verstappen's championship lead to 59 points with seven races and three sprints remaining.
The race commenced under warm sunshine and a clear sky, with air temperatures at 27 degrees and track temperatures reaching 46 degrees, illuminating the 6km street circuit.
Lewis Hamilton, in the other Mercedes, and Esteban Ocon from Alpine both began the race from the pit lane after undergoing overnight power unit repairs, while Pierre Gasly from Alpine started at the back of the grid due to a disqualification from qualifying for a fuel flow violation.
Leclerc made a strong start from his fourth pole position in Baku, pulling ahead of Piastri, while both Red Bulls gained a position and Norris advanced to 13th by the end of the first lap.
A series of pit stops followed as Hamilton continued his early ascent. By lap five, he had moved up to 15th place, with Leclerc leading Piastri by 0.936 seconds, followed by Perez, Sainz, Verstappen, and Russell. Alonso was in seventh, four seconds behind, while Norris occupied the 11th position.
At that point in the race, the top three competitors were within a two-second interval, with Piastri successfully fending off Leclerc's advances while Perez pursued closely behind.
This situation persisted, as Piastri's superior traction upon exiting Turn One allowed him to maintain his lead, even as Leclerc's tires began to wear down. The race took a turn on lap 50 when Sainz and Perez collided.
Fernando Alonso secured sixth place for Aston Martin, followed by Alex Albon from Williams and the newcomer Franco Colapinto from Argentina. Seven-time champion Hamilton concluded the race in ninth position.
Ollie Bearman, who filled in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen, finished in tenth place for Haas, ahead of his teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Bearman made history by becoming the first driver to earn points on his debut with two different teams.
SportsLigue