Oscar Piastri held off Charles Leclerc in a sensational spectacle at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Further back, Lando Norris completed a noble comeback, recovering from P15 to P4 to finish ahead of title rival Max Verstappen.
All 20 drivers were well-behaved at the race start, but there was contact further back in the field later on the opening lap as Lance Stroll collided with Yuki Tsunoda, earning him a puncture and an early trip to the pit lane.
Starting from 15th on the grid, Norris made a strong start gaining four positions before the end of lap three and overtaking Oliver Bearman on lap seven to move into the points-paying positions.
Polesitter Leclerc looked comfortable out front throughout the opening stint, stretching out a lead of nearly five seconds before the first pit stops, but after some strong McLaren teamwork allowed Piastri to defend against a Sergio Perez undercut, the Australian was unleashed.
After moving past Alex Albon on the alternate strategy, Piastri hunted down Leclerc before lunging down the inside of the race leader at Turn One on lap 20. The 23-year-old made the attack stick, snatching the lead from the Ferrari star.
Leclerc bunkered down in the following 10 laps, staying within DRS range of Piastri, but the McLaren driver didn’t put a foot wrong as he set the pace out front. Further back, Norris’ hard-to-medium strategy brought him together on track with title rival Verstappen.
With his team-mate leading the way, Norris made his pit stop on lap 38, emerging in seventh place with a 15-second deficit to Verstappen ahead. Six laps later, the Dutchman’s advantage had been halved and on lap 49 he made the move stick.
Everything was set up for a grandstand finish at the front but with mere laps remaining, Leclerc’s rear tyres fell off the cliff, allowing Piastri to streak clear towards his second Grand Prix victory. However, when Carlos Sainz arrived on the scene, chaos ensued.
After diving up the inside of Perez, Sainz crept over the racetrack on the exit of Turn Two. The Red Bull and Ferrari machines collided before skewing hard into the outside wall, bringing out the virtual safety car and giving Piastri room to breathe before the chequered flag.
