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Tyres NorthamptonThe result has tightened up the drivers' championship standings, while McLaren have usurped Red Bull in the constructors' table. With seven races remaining, Azerbaijan demonstrated how nothing is certain in F1 this year.
Piastri had to fight for his victory, though. Ferrari proved the closest challenger to the mighty pace of McLaren for the second successive race. After his Monza win, Charles Leclerc continued his success by taking pole at the track for the fourth consecutive season. The Monegasque driver has always excelled on his single-lap pace around Baku but has yet to score a win — a statistic that continued in 2024.
Leclerc maintained his lead from the P2-starting Piastri at lights out on the short run to Turn 1, while teammate Sainz lost P3 to Perez in the opening corners. Perez's overtake opened up a three-team fight for the win as McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari matched each other for pace throughout the 51 laps. With Max Verstappen getting by George Russell, too, the race at the sharp end was as intense as it has been all year.
Lando Norris, however, was left to play catch up after a miscommunication in Qualifying left the British championship hopeful with a P15 start. He used the better pace of his MCL38 to advance three positions on the opening lap, somewhat aided by a puncture for Lance Stroll that created a four-way fight down the pit straight. Norris was one of only a few drivers and the only front-runner to start on Pirelli's hard compound tyre rather than the mediums, yet still found speed on the white-ringed rubber to overtake.
Norris's recovery drive proved a fascinating subplot to the race, with his contrary strategy sending him up the field but needing to pit. Even though there was a lot of pre-race discussion around the so-called 'Papaya Rules', a McLaren team order for Piastri to help Norris win the title, the Woking-based team instead needed Norris' help. Perez had tried to undercut Piastri by pitting earlier, and Norris had to slow the Red Bull down in the twisty second sector to help his Australian teammate retain track position in the pit stop phase.
Norris' blocking worked, and Piastri returned to the circuit with fresh Pirelli tyres in front of Perez. The decision would prove vital for Mcaren's victory as the Melbourne-born racer only had one car to pass to take the lead. While Norris and, surprisingly, Alex Albon occupied the upper positions on the alternative strategy, Leclerc and Piastri went duelling for the lead.
A late-braking move on the inside of Turn 1 at the start of Lap 20 was the move that saw P1 change hands in a confident overtake by Piastri. His faith in his McLaren's stopping power had the papaya-coloured car diving down the inside from 30 metres back. Somehow, Piastri comfortably made the apex and the lead from Leclerc. The Ferrari tried to fight into Turn 2 but couldn't find his way back to P1.
With one McLaren battling into the lead, the second McLaren also found itself fighting, too. Norris, still stuck behind Williams' Albon, had somewhat passively let Sainz through but got his elbows out to defend from championship rival Verstappen. The pair miraculously didn't collide as the Red Bull driver tried to find a way past into Turn 3, but Norris' stern driving saw the three-time champion hesitate from trying again.
Although Albon had far more speed than earlier in the year, Verstappen lost lots of time behind the hard tyre-equipped Williams and Norris on their contrary tyres, letting Russell close back in. Whether it was a fortunate coincidence or a deliberate slow march, Norris' blocking of Verstappen had allowed his fellow British runner back into the running.
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When Norris finally pitted on Lap 38. The speed advantage of the Pirelli mediums propelled Norris back up to Verstappen in the remaining laps. Verstappen had a fast-approaching Norris to repel, and he had lost out to Russell as his tyres faded to pile on more misery. Incredibly, Norris caught up to and fought past the championship leader with three laps remaining to steal P6 and swing the points in his favour.
Yet the race still had one more twist. With Piastri soaking up pressure from Leclerc throughout, the Australian put on the afterburners in the final laps to leave the Ferrari driver checking his mirrors from Perez. The Mexican had a Prancing Horse ahead all race but now also needed to defend from one behind as Sainz joined the podium fight.
A penultimate lap attack on Leclerc into Turn 1 left Perez out of position and instead open to Sainz, who battled by the Red Bull. An inevitable pushback from Perez out of the Turn 2 left-hander saw the pair drag racing down the straight. With both drivers wanting a slipstream from Leclerc, the two cars drifted into each other, smashing into the wall and crashing out of the race to leave both without points.
The incident triggered a Virtual Safety Car for the remaining minutes, ensuring Piastri would win the race ahead of Leclerc and a fortuitous Russell, who never looked to have podium pace. Norris, somehow, ended 11 places higher than he started in P4 after his alternate strategy gamble, with Verstappen in P5. This Baku lights-to-flag blast had the audience guessing who might win through almost all 51 laps. And, best of all, it's a doubleheader event, and the drivers will do it all again this weekend for the Singapore GP.