Sunday Debrief: Piastri triumphs in Baku with chaos to close the Azerbaijan GP

McLaren play the team game, as Oscar Piastri takes victory in Baku and Norris bumps up to P4 after late collision between Sainz and Perez in closing laps. McLaren move up to the lead in the constructor’s championship.

 

Qualifying

Lando Norris had a bad qualifying session, after failing to make it out of Q1. Meanwhile in the other McLaren, Oscar Piastri lined his car up on the front row in P2. Alongside the McLaren, Charles Leclerc took pole with a final lap time that solidified his lead.

 

Both Williams made it into Q3, Williams showing promising pace over the weekend. Led by Colapinto the Williams qualified in P9 and 10. Albon surviving investigation from the stewards, following qualifying when Albon stopped at the end of the pitlane with the engine cooler still attached. Albon managing to get the cooler off the Williams and toss it to the marshals before continuing for a final lap in Q3.

 

Bearman filling in for Magnussen after his penalty race ban, and qualifying in P11 for his hirst qualifying session in Formula One.

There was a long lit of retirements and penalties on the grid going into the race. Pierre Gasly, who qualified in P13 was disqualified and started the race from P18 ahead of Lewis Hamilton and his teammate Esteban Ocon. Hamilton, in P19 after qualifying in P7, moved to the back after the mechanics performed a full engine change, Ocon at the back having changed the power unit. Both drivers to start the race from the pitlane.

 

Race

Going into turn 1, Leclerc launched ahead, staying ahead of the McLaren of Piastri, at the back of the grid Tsunoda and Stroll made contact, damage to both cars, as Stroll came into the pits at the end of the lap with a puncture, re-joining at the back of the grid. Going into turn 3, Russell was passed by Verstappen who moved up into P5, Verstappen’s championship competitor, Norris, made his way up the order, picking up 3 places on the opening lap.

 

By lap 15, Norris was able to pick his way through the order and up into the top 5, behind Perez, his teammate and the two Ferrari’s. Norris told to play the team game and hold off Perez as Piastri came into the pits on lap 15. Norris holding up Perez up until the start/finish straight on lap 16, enough for Piastri to come out of the pits just ahead of Perez. Leclerc responding by pitting a lap later, giving Sainz the lead of the grand prix, before he came into pit at the end of lap 17, promoting his teammate back into the lead with Piastri behind in P2 and Perez following closely in P3.

 

Piastri lunged down the inside of Leclerc on Lap 20, braking late as he swooped past the Ferrari and into the lead. Perez putting the pressure now from behind as it becomes a three-way battle for the lead of the race.

 

Stroll became the second retirement of the race on lap 47, following issued with the brakes. Tsunoda was the first to retire from the race with damage to the side of his RB.

 

Going into the closing laps, Piastri held off Leclerc, Leclerc repeatedly trying to past the McLaren but not making much of it after pushing too hard on his tyres while trying to clear the threat of Perez behind. Piastri benefitting and extending his lead in the race, while Carlos Sainz came from behind to make it a three-way battle for P2 with 4 laps to go. Sainz passed Perez on lap 50 to move up into P3, but the Spaniard wouldn’t hold onto the position with Perez fighting for the place back. The pair getting close until they went into the wall, after Sainz just turned in on Sergio Perez, bringing both drivers out of the race and ending the race with the VSC.

 

Piastri cruised over the line to finish with another victory to his name, Leclerc finishing in P2 from pole, with Russell who was in a peaceful race of his own inherited P3 after the late collision between Sainz and Perez. Bearman and Hamilton were also promoted up into the points following the collision in P10 and 9 respectively, finishing behind the two Williams.

 

Norris in a battle with Verstappen in the championship, finished ahead in P6, promoted to P4 after the collision to take 12 points with an extra point for the fastest lap, with Verstappen behind with 10 points, the battle holding on as McLaren pass Red Bull in the constructor’s.