Oscar Piastri claimed an outstanding victory at the Baku Grand Prix, once again showcasing his exceptional talent. In his 39th Formula 1 race, the Australian McLaren driver secured his second win of the season, following his triumph in Budapest 2024. Starting in second place, right behind pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, Piastri kept his composure after the pit stop and executed a spectacular overtaking move on the Monegasque’s Ferrari.
The decisive moment came on lap 20 when Piastri, with an incredible late braking move into the first corner, seized the lead. From that point, a tense duel unfolded between the two drivers, with Leclerc making numerous attempts to regain the top spot, but Piastri defended with the skill of a seasoned champion. Leclerc, who admitted in the post-race press conference that he had underestimated the challenge of re-passing the Australian, struggled to keep pace on hard tires, which proved less effective than the mediums.
Throughout the race, Leclerc had a few opportunities to overtake, but Piastri always responded with great skill. Toward the end, Leclerc began losing rear grip due to tire degradation, opening the door for Sergio Perez, who tried to make a move. However, the Monegasque managed to hold him off, while Carlos Sainz, who had been closing in on the leading group, overtook Perez. Unfortunately, a slight mistake in the corner compromised his maneuver, and exiting the next turn, Perez attempted to pull alongside him. The two cars made contact, sending both into the wall.
The crash led to the deployment of the virtual safety car, freezing the race with just one lap remaining. Piastri crossed the finish line first, followed by Leclerc, who held onto second place thanks to the retirements of Perez and Sainz. George Russell claimed a surprising third place for Mercedes, despite the team's struggles throughout the race.
Lando Norris, after an impressive comeback from 16th on the grid, finished fourth, overtaking a lackluster Max Verstappen in the closing stages. Verstappen finished fifth, having been consistently outperformed by his teammate Perez all race long. Fernando Alonso, steady as ever, finished sixth in his Aston Martin, followed by the two Williams drivers, Alexander Albon and rookie Franco Colapinto, who was competing in just his second Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton, penalized with a pit lane start due to an engine change, finished ninth, while tenth place went to Oliver Bearman driving for Haas. The young Brit, part of the Ferrari Academy, replaced Kevin Magnussen, who had been disqualified by the FIA for accumulating too many penalty points on his license. Bearman, who had previously raced for Ferrari in Jeddah, made history by becoming the first driver in Formula 1 to score points in the same season with two different teams.
Meanwhile, McLaren overtook Red Bull in the constructors' standings, confirming their strong momentum.
© Cavalieri Garage & Co.
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