In the thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, Oscar Piastri emerged victorious after overtaking Charles Leclerc, while behind them, chaos ensued with various crashes among competitors. Piastri, from McLaren, executed a bold move past Leclerc’s Ferrari to secure the lead on lap 20 of the 51-lap race. Sergio Perez of Red Bull attempted to challenge Leclerc for second place but ultimately collided with Carlos Sainz Jr.’s Ferrari, leading to a podium finish for George Russell of Mercedes as the race concluded under speed restrictions.
Reflecting on his second career win, Piastri described the race as the most stressful afternoon of his life. Lando Norris, who pulled off a remarkable comeback to finish ahead of Max Verstappen, recounted the nerve-wracking experience of driving amidst flying debris following the crashes involving Sainz and Perez. Despite starting in 15th place, Norris strategically navigated the race, capitalizing on the mishaps ahead to gain crucial points in the championship standings.
Although Leclerc has secured pole position in the last four races in Azerbaijan, he has yet to claim a victory in any of them, expressing disappointment in Ferrari’s overall performance. Norris’ impressive finish has narrowed the gap in the championship standings, although Verstappen maintains a substantial 59-point lead with seven races remaining.
In other notable results, Fernando Alonso placed sixth for Aston Martin, while Alexander Albon secured seventh for Williams. Williams’ rookie driver Franco Colapinto made history by becoming the first Argentinian driver to score points since Carlos Reutemann in 1982. Lewis Hamilton, who started the race from the pit lane due to car part changes, finished in ninth place. 19-year-old Oliver Bearman, in only his second F1 race filling in for Kevin Magnussen at Haas, claimed tenth place, outperforming his more experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg.
