Piastri powers to F1 Victory as Baku erupts in late-race chaos

Oscar Piastri came out on top in a thrilling battle with Charles Leclerc to take his second career win Sunday in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and send McLaren soaring to the top of the Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship standings. Meanwhile, a late-race collision with Carlos Sainz dumped Sergio Pérez out of a podium finish and handed third place to Mercedes’ George Russell.

When the lights went out, pole sitter Leclerc got away well from Piastri but behind them Pérez drew level with Sainz before making his way past the Spaniard on the approach to Turn 2 to take second place. Behind them, Verstappen reacted well to the lights and he also profited in Turn 2, muscling past Mercedes’ George Russell to take fifth place.

Further back, after starting from P16, Norris was on a march and by lap four the McLaren driver was already on the cusp of the points in P11.

At the front, Leclerc was initially unable to break DRS and shake Piastri, but on lap 8 the Ferrari driver turned up the wick and over the following three laps carved out a three second gap to the Australian and to Pérez who was comfortably staying in touch with the battle for the lead.

On lap 11, Williams’ Franco Colapinto was the first of the top 10 to make a pit stop, followed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and on lap 13 Verstappen headed into the pits to shed Medium tires that he said were offering no grip.

Pérez followed his teammate to the pit lane at the end of the following lap and with Piastri still on track, the Red Bull driver pushed to make the undercut work. The Red Bull driver had emerged behind long -running Hard tires starter Norris, however, and McLaren were swiftly on the radio to tell their driver to hold the Mexican up through the Old Town.

Pérez had to wait until he had DRS before he could power past Norris and the short delay was enough to allow Piastri to pit and rejoin just ahead of the Red Bull. Further up the track, Leclerc made his own stop for Hards, holding the lead as he returned to the circuit.

Piastri, more comfortable on the Hard tires, closed in and at the start of lap 20, the Australian used DRS on the pit straight to power past the Ferrari into Turn 1 and steal the lead.

Behind the leaders, Verstappen also looked to be gaining ground on the Hard tires, and he soon closed up to Sainz, The pair quickly came up on the slower Norris and Albon and though Sainz soon made his way past the McLaren, Verstappen found himself stuck behind a stubbornly defensive title rival. The Dutchman then began to wear his rears, saying his car was “bouncing around and losing contact”, and he was soon ambushed by Russell.

At the front, Leclerc was pushing to find a way past Piastri and on lap 33 he mounted his most serious attack since surrendering the lead. The Ferrari driver closed up under DRS on the pit straight forcing Piastri to defend the inside line. The McLaren driver held the lead but the battle allowed Pérez to close in and join the battle as the race edged towards two-thirds distance.

Norris finally made his sole stop on lap 38 and he rejoined 15 seconds behind Verstappen. The McLaren driver, with fresh Medium tires on board, quickly began to post fastest race laps and he eventually powered past the struggling Dutchman with a handful of laps left.

At the front the final third of the race developed into a cat and mouse battle, with Leclerc probing and pushing to provoke a mistake from Piastri and with Pérez seeking to profit from any battle.

And when Leclerc suddenly began to slip and slide on worn tires in the closing stages, Pérez tried to pounce. However, after almost getting past the Ferrari in Turn 1, he was forced to back out and Sainz drew alongside. The Ferrari appeared to get too close and as they powered towards Turn 2 there was contact. both spun into the wall.

The race was closed out under a Virtual Safety Car. Piastri stretched out to take his second career win ahead of Leclerc, while Russell inherited third place ahead of Norris and with Max in sixth place. Fernando Alonso took sixth for Aston Martin ahead of the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished ninth and the final point went to Haas’ Oliver Bearman.

It was a Baku Grand Prix that was less race and more rollercoaster. Piastri’s triumph was a masterclass in tenacity, Leclerc’s frustration was palpable, and the spectacular Pérez-Sainz crash added a touch of the ridiculous that only Baku can deliver. As for the rest? They’ll be counting their lucky stars and preparing for the next round of this high-octane circus in Singapore in a week’s time.

FORMULA 1 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2024 – RACE RESULTS

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Greg Engle

Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community.

Greg has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.

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