F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Piastri wins amid drama as Sainz crashes into Pérez – as it happened
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Great news! We have Giles Richards' report in hand, so that wraps things up for today. Thank you all for joining us—looking forward to seeing you again next week for Singapore, which promises to be exciting! Until then, take care and spread the love.
McLaren hasn't held the constructor championship title since 2014. However, they're currently in a strong position, which bodes well not only for the remainder of this season but also for the upcoming one.
It seems that Red Bull isn't likely to be winning any more races. The focus now is on how effectively Verstappen can manage the car to earn points, and if Norris can drive well enough to either claim victories or at least come close. I have my doubts, but anything can happen…
What’s next for the season?
The game has just started at Spurs.
I’m going to say it clearly: I may not be the first to say this, and certainly not the 569,423rd, but Oscar Piastri is going to win a championship as a driver—most likely more than one.
Piastri proudly lifts the trophy, puts on his champion's medal, and gets ready for the celebratory champagne.
The three drivers on the podium observe the incident between Sainz and Perez, expressing their excitement with gasps and cheers. I believe Perez came out worse in the situation, but I'd like to review it again to be sure. In any case, our top three are approaching, and it's time for the Australian national anthem.
Verstappen from Red Bull has a total of 313 points.
Perez (Red Bull) 143
Piastri sensed he had some added traction, so he decided to make a move on Leclerc, executing a "pretty good lunge" before doing everything he could to maintain his position. Overall, he believes this is among the finest races he has ever had. He attributes much of the success to his team, who were at the bottom of the standings just a year ago and are now at the top of the constructors' championship, with Piastri being the leading points scorer over the last seven races.
Leclerc mentioned that the hard tires posed a challenge for him. He praised McLaren for their strong performance at this track, but considering what happened to Sainz on the last lap, it turned out to be a tough weekend for Ferrari.
Russell expressed his surprise at finishing on the podium and was pleased to hear that Sainz and Perez are alright. Although he faced some challenges throughout the weekend, his car performed well when it was at its best.
Max Verstappen, who races for Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso, racing for Aston Martin,
Zhou Guanyu is a driver for the Stake F1 team.
Valtteri Bottas (Stake F1)
Did not finish: Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari), Sergio Pérez (Red Bull).
I mentioned this during the race, but it's been quite a while since we've witnessed such a prolonged and fierce fight for the top spot. However, it always seemed as though Piastri was just a bit too fast and clever for Leclerc, who, once again, couldn't turn his pole position into a win on this circuit.
"It was the hardest day I've ever experienced," Piastri says to his team while expressing his gratitude; looking at how calm he was behind the wheel, you would never guess it. He has the makings of a true star.
Lando Norris secured fourth place, elevating McLaren to the lead in the constructor's championship, while Verstappen finished in fifth. His advantage in the driver standings has been slightly reduced; we'll determine the exact amount once we verify if the British driver achieved the fastest lap.
Oscar Piastri Takes The Win At Azerbaijan GP!
An impressive display of determination leads to his second career victory for Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, while George Russell from Mercedes secures third place.
Lap 51/51 After some time, we finally have our virtual safety car in action. Meanwhile, Piastri is comfortably leading the race. He has truly arrived and established himself at the forefront.
Sainz And Perez Crash Out Of The Race!
Lap 50/51 The leaders are speeding ahead, but here comes Perez making a move on Leclerc and manages to pass him on the outside. However, Leclerc fights back and cuts him off! And now, take a look at this! Sainz also overtakes Perez, with both Ferraris collaborating well. But as they round the turn, Sainz and Perez collide, with Sainz hitting Perez’s side. It looks like both cars are out of the race! What an exciting turn of events!
As we reach lap 49 of 51, Norris is closing in on Verstappen, now less than a second behind him. Meanwhile, Piastri appears to have it under control at the front. In the battle for second place, Leclerc is trying to fend off Perez, who is also under threat from Sainz in his pursuit of third. But wait! Here comes Norris, making a move on Verstappen, and he passes him while also setting the fastest lap! He’s narrowing the lead, having started off in 15th position, and after yesterday's challenges, this result will surely make him very happy.
On lap 48 out of 51, Perez makes a move on Leclerc, attempting to overtake him on the outside but fails to do so. Meanwhile, Piastri has taken the lead with a margin of 2.480 seconds. It looks like he's on track for the win!
Lap 47/51: Stroll, who had a puncture early on, is forced to drop out of the race. Meanwhile, Piastri puts in an impressive lap, surpassing Leclerc's DRS, while Perez starts to close the gap on him. The distance is now just 1.759 seconds—could this be the crucial moment of the race?
On lap 46 of 51, Sainz is trailing Perez by 1.199 seconds. While there's intense competition for the top two spots, there's also a thrilling fight for third and fourth, which could turn into a challenge for the lead! This is definitely the most enjoyable race I've watched in ages, with Piastri in front by 0.929 seconds and Perez right on Leclerc’s tail—closer to him than Leclerc is to Piastri.
Lap 45/51 Piastri continues to fend off Leclerc, and this might turn out to be a significant win for him. In the meantime, Norris is anticipated to catch up with Verstappen in about four laps. He has just clocked the fastest lap, with the gap now at 5.095 seconds. The question remains: will he manage to overtake, or will Verstappen’s skills keep him in the lead?
Lap 44/51 Piastri's concentration to keep such a tight lead for an extended period is impressive. The distance between him and the next racer is 0.578 seconds.
Lap 43/51: Sainz is catching up to Perez, which could benefit his teammate Leclerc by adding pressure on the Mexican driver. With just nine laps left, the outcome of this race is still uncertain.
Lap 42 of 51: Norris is set to be close enough to Verstappen to challenge him in about eight laps. If that happens, he’ll have four opportunities to overtake and narrow the gap in the championship standings. Meanwhile, Leclerc is just 0.819 seconds behind Piastri, and right behind him is Perez once more!
On lap 41 of 51, it's hard to say what might shift for Leclerc before the end of the race. Meanwhile, Hamilton easily passes Bearman for a second time. There are only ten laps remaining.
During lap 40 of 51, Norris clocks the fastest lap, narrowing his distance from Verstappen to 12.308 seconds. Meanwhile, Leclerc's team discusses a potential two-stop strategy, possibly aiming to pressure McLaren into bringing Piastri in for a pit stop. However, as they reach the straight, Leclerc is closer this time and finds his moment to overtake, but the Aussie manages to fend him off yet again.
Lap 39/51 It’s been some time since Leclerc made a serious attempt to overtake Piastri, who is now likely feeling the weight of being in the lead. He's not just expected to win; he also believes he can do it. The distance between them is 0.774 seconds.
Lap 38/51: Sainz, in fourth place, is catching up to Perez, who is in third. It seems unlikely that the Mexican driver will be able to challenge for second position from this point. Meanwhile, Norris has made a pit stop and comes out in front of Alonso, taking seventh place. He is 15.454 seconds behind Verstappen.
On lap 37 out of 51, Piastri records the fastest lap. A strategy call is suggested for him to pit if Leclerc does, but McLaren stays put, keeping Piastri 0.725 seconds ahead.
Lap 36/51 It's happening once more, with Leclerc unable to catch up to Piastri for a pass. Meanwhile, we discover that in the last four races, nobody has accumulated more points than the rising Australian driver – which could easily be a catchy name for a pub.
On lap 35 of the 51-lap race, Piastri receives a message that his front tires are in a bit worse condition compared to Leclerc's, but his rear tires are holding up slightly better. It's been a while since I've seen a race quite like this, with two drivers battling it out lap after lap. Meanwhile, we find out that Albon, who is currently in 11th place, is aiming for an eighth-place finish, and he might even shoot for seventh if Verstappen makes another pit stop.
On lap 34 out of 51, Verstappen informs his team that he's struggling with grip. These brief messages from him have become quite common. He is currently 1.595 seconds behind Norris, who still needs to pit, while Perez, in third place, is narrowing the gap to Leclerc in fourth. And look at that! Russell manages to overtake Verstappen, and although it seems likely that Verstappen will finish behind him, his overall time difference doesn’t seem likely to change significantly.
Lap 33/51 Leclerc is closing in once more, nearly catching up to Piastri, who manages to take a solid racing line to fend off the attempt. This battle is intense! And it's far from over!
On Lap 32 of 51, Albon makes a pit stop, promoting Norris to fifth place and Verstappen to sixth. Both drivers will aim to push hard in the next segment to capitalize on the open track in front of them.
Lap 31/51: Norris is likely reluctant to make a pit stop at this point because it would drop him to 11th place behind Hulkenberg, and the Haas' fast straight-line speed could cause him trouble. Meanwhile, Piastri remains in the lead, and although Leclerc has DRS, he isn't quite close enough to attempt an overtaking move.
Lap 30/51 Indeed, Perez is currently 1.361 seconds behind Leclerc, who is 0.612 seconds behind Piastri. This is shaping up to be an incredible performance—one that could be remembered in the future as a pivotal moment in the leader's career.
Lap 29/51 Leclerc is back on the attack, and this time he’s closer… but Piastri manages to fend him off! The young Australian is putting in an impressive performance, but he’s bound to face more obstacles as the race goes on, with the top two drivers gradually pulling away from Perez.
Lap 28/51 Once more, Leclerc is unable to catch up with Piastri for a pass—he’s incredibly close. The gap is just 0.496 seconds.
Lap 27 out of 51, and Albon is doing an excellent job of keeping Norris and Verstappen behind him. It's worth noting that Norris has yet to make his pit stop. A safety car deployment would be ideal for McLaren at this point.
Lap 26 of 51: Piastri has claimed just one Grand Prix victory in his relatively short career, which he achieved in Hungary earlier this year. Currently, he’s in the lead by 0.560 seconds. It appears that the Australian pushed himself a bit too much at the beginning, which affected his ability to challenge Leclerc. However, he has adjusted his driving style now and is following his strategy more effectively, resulting in improved performance.
On lap 25 of the 51-lap race, Piastri records the fastest lap time, while Leclerc manages to get close enough to activate DRS but isn't quite in position to make an overtaking attempt. At the same time, Verstappen is growing increasingly annoyed with his struggle to overtake Norris.
On lap 24 out of 51, Verstappen is closely tailing Norris, who hasn't made a pit stop yet, but Norris manages to block him! Meanwhile, up front, Piastri is performing exceptionally well, increasing his lead over Leclerc, who is feeling the pressure as it shrinks to just -.946 seconds.
Lap 23 of 51: Leclerc makes an attempt to pass Piastri on the inside but doesn't succeed. The distance separating them is 0.799 seconds, while Perez is trailing even further back, 0.946 seconds behind.
Lap 22/51 The top three cars are tightly packed together! This is amazing action, and what makes it even better is that Verstappen and Norris are not in the mix.
Lap 21 of 51 sees Leclerc making another attempt, but Piastri is holding his ground – he’s aware of what’s happening and holds firm. The top three drivers are only 1.5 seconds apart, making this an exciting race! Meanwhile, Norris is in fifth position.
Lap 20/51 Alright! Piastri makes a bold move on the inside, and Leclerc can't defend against him! What an impressive maneuver, especially considering how far back he started! But wait! Here comes the second DRS zone, and Leclerc tries to retaliate... but he loses control and has to backtrack! That was an outstanding effort from the Australian, although Leclerc should have anticipated the challenge. He’ll surely try again, but he needs to keep an eye on Perez behind him.
On lap 19 of 51, Perez makes a move on Albon along the straight, with plenty of room to overtake him on either side. The track is spacious, making it clear that a pass is imminent. Meanwhile, Piastri is doing well, now just 0.929 seconds behind Leclerc, who has regained the lead.
On lap 18 out of 51, Sainz makes his pit stop, which puts Leclerc back in the lead. Meanwhile, Perez sets a new fastest lap time. Piastri, now back in second place, will be relieved to have Albon trailing him, as he's holding up the second Red Bull car.
Lap 17 out of 51: Leclerc has just come into the pit, which puts Sainz in the lead for now. However, Sainz will reclaim the top spot once the Ferrari team makes their pit stop; he’ll take the lead again at that point.
On lap 16 of 51, Piastri pits while Perez, who has fresh tires, overtakes Norris. However, Piastri manages to come back onto the track ahead of Perez, thanks to his teammate slowing him down just enough. Meanwhile, Tsunoda, whose car was damaged from a previous collision, has to retire from the race.
Lap 15 of 51: Piastri has built a sufficient lead over Perez to make a pit stop and retain his position in front. However, he decides to stay out for an additional lap, which might not be the best decision as the gap begins to close. Meanwhile, Norris is instructed to slow down Checo without jeopardizing his own chances.
Lap 14 of 51: Leclerc is currently in the lead with a gap of 5.173 seconds. Perez has just completed his pit stop and has come out in sixth place. Meanwhile, Norris is in fifth, but he will need to head to the pits himself shortly.
On lap 13 out of 51, Verstappen, who’s been steadily working through the race, decides he's had it with his tires. He comes into the pits and exits in 10th place, which is slower than he would have liked. Russell comes in right after him, and Hamilton makes a pit stop as well.
