Battles for first place, a dramatic collision at the end of the race, and a comeback by a title contender.
Oscar Piastri won a Formula One race that became an instant classic on Sunday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. came into contact as they battled for podium places, while McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was involved in the title race, fought his way from 15th on the grid to finish fourth – ahead of points leader Max Verstappen (Red Bull).
Piastri started the race behind the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, but took the lead with a daring move on lap 20 of 51.
“It was probably the most stressful afternoon of my life,” Piastri said on the radio after crossing the finish line. It was his second career victory.
Perez attempted to overtake Leclerc for second with a few kilometres to go, but eventually made contact with Sainz. Both men retired and the race ended with a virtual safety car.
George Russell (Mercedes) finished on the third step of the podium, ahead of Norris and Verstappen.
Norris was behind Sainz and Perez when they collided and managed to avoid the debris. The result allows him to reduce the gap to 59 points behind Verstappen with seven races remaining in the season.
“Driving flat out in a cloud of carbon fibre pieces on the penultimate lap was pretty crazy,” he said. “I couldn’t see anything.”
Leclerc took pole position in a fourth consecutive race in Baku, but failed to win any of them. “It’s obviously not another great day for the team,” he summed up.
Quebecer Lance Stroll did not finish the race, being forced to retire due to brake problems a few laps from the end. He was riding in 17th position .
Stroll started in 13th position and was in 12th place when he attempted to overtake Yuki Tsunoda on the first lap. The two men collided, causing Stroll to suffer a puncture and Tsunoda to retire later.
Relegated to last place, Stroll was never able to get close to the top 10 before his retirement.
“My race was pretty much over on the first lap after the contact with [Tsunoda],” Stroll said. “I dove to the inside – I’m not sure he saw me – but he closed the door.
“With nine laps to go I started to feel a problem with the brake pedal and it got worse with each lap. It’s not a circuit where you can take risks, and we were far from the top 10, so it made sense to stop.”
Stroll’s Aston Martin team-mate Fernando Alonso finished sixth, ahead of Williams’ Alexander Albon.
Franco Colapinto, also of Williams, finished eighth in his second F1 race, becoming the first Argentinian to score points since Carlos Reutemann in 1982.
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) finished ninth after starting the race from the pit lane, and Oliver Bearman (Haas) – also in his second career race – finished in 10th position as he replaced the suspended Kevin Magnussen.
The action will resume next weekend with the Singapore GP.
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