Oscar Piastri Announces Arrival With Azerbaijan Grand Prix Win, Spells Magic For McLaren

Oscar Piastri pulled off a stunning victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to claim his second title. The Aussie narrowly beat  Charles Leclerc to the chequered flag in Baku. 

Azerbaijan Grand Prix Ends In A Thriller

Piastri tagged behind pole-sitter Leclerc in the initial stages of the 51-lap encounter but overcame him shortly after the Ferrari driver’s sole pit stop phase, with Perez – and eventually Sainz – joining them to make it a tense, four-way contest.

The 23-year-old ultimately finished on top, having expertly defended P1 on several occasions and gained a little bit of breathing space when Leclerc’s tyres faded in the closing laps. 

“That was probably the most stressful afternoon in my life…It definitely goes down as one of the better races of my career,” Pisastri expressed after the race.

“He’s arrived, he’ll keep his feet on the ground and he’ll keep working hard”, Formula One mentor and manager Mark Webber on Piastri’s win. 

Leclerc, who started from pole position, fought closely with Piastri but eventually finished second after his tires began to wear down. George Russell of Mercedes rounded out the podium in third, benefiting from the crash between Sainz and Perez. 

Another Maclaren driver Lando Norris – on an alternative strategy from P15 – passed title rival Max Verstappen finished fourth in the race with the fastest lap bonus, after initially dropping down to 15th.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s championship leader, crossed the line in fifth position. 

Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes finished ninth after starting from the pit lane, while rookie Oliver Bearman, filling in for Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, who was suspended, took the last point by finishing 10th.

While the race ended under the Virtual Safety Car,  due to a late collision between Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Piastri Norris helped McLaren move to the top of the constructors’ championship standings.

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McLaren now holds a 20-point boost over Red Bull with seven races still left to play out. 

Oscar Piastri’s maiden victory came at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July. Having climbed podiums in Italy and Belgium in the previous three occasions, the Aussie moved to fourth in the drivers’ championship led by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and lies only 32 points behind Norris.

Notably, Piastri has come a long way since his first season at McLaren when he finished ninth in last year’s championship, more than 100 points shy of Brit Norris.