F1 Azerbaijan GP: Verstappen Wins in Baku; Piastri’s Crash Shakes Championship Fight

Max Verstappen delivered a commanding performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading all 51 laps on the streets of Baku to secure victory for Red Bull. The Dutchman built a margin of more than 14 seconds on George Russell, who brought Mercedes home in second after a consistent run. But all eyes were on Carlos Sainz, who handed Williams its first podium of the season with third place. The Spaniard had narrowly missed out on pole in qualifying, but his podium finish marked a major boost for Williams’ points tally and a morale lift for the team.

Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed again with fourth after another composed drive in his debut season. Racing Bulls enjoyed one of their strongest weekends in Formula 1, as Liam Lawson claimed a career-best fifth place. Second Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda also had a good weekend by getting sixth place.

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McLaren’s Lando Norris was seventh after a late push on fresh tyres but fell just short of passing Tsunoda. His teammate Oscar Piastri had a difficult race, eliminated on lap one after a jump-start violation led to a crash at Turn 5. The retirement has now cut Piastri’s points advantage over Norris in their championship battel.

Lewis Hamilton secured eighth for Mercedes, while Charles Leclerc salvaged ninth for Ferrari. Rookie Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten in a brilliant result for Racing Bulls, adding to their double-points haul. Further back, penalties for Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso shuffled the lower order, capping off a demanding race in Baku.

McLaren’s hopes of wrapping up the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship in Baku were put on hold after a challenging weekend. Arriving on the brink of sealing the title, the team instead faced setbacks that forced them to wait for another opportunity. Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who held a 31-point advantage heading into the race, endured one of his toughest outings of the season.

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The Australian crashed in both qualifying and the race, marking an uncharacteristically scrappy performance that left McLaren frustrated and eager to bounce back in the next round in Singapore.