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Oscar Piastri secured his second career victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, dominating a race that saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc miss out on a win despite securing his fourth consecutive pole position. The young Australian driver for McLaren, who hails from a long line of racing talent with Italian roots, overtook Leclerc on lap 20 and held the lead with flawless driving. Behind him, the Monegasque driver had to contend not only with tire wear but also with relentless attacks from Sergio Perez, making for a tense finale.
A pivotal moment in the race was the penultimate-lap collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, which saw both drivers crash into the barriers. The incident unfolded during a high-stakes moment as Perez attempted to overtake Leclerc, followed closely by Sainz, who tried to seize the opportunity. The trajectories of the cars crossed, leading to an inevitable clash that knocked both out of contention for the podium.
Meanwhile, George Russell secured third place for Mercedes, finishing ahead of a strong Lando Norris, who climbed from 15th on the grid thanks to a well-timed pit stop strategy. Max Verstappen, still struggling with his Red Bull, ended in fifth, voicing his frustrations over persistent setup issues with his car.
Despite finishing second, Leclerc admitted to making mistakes, particularly in defending against Piastri. Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, also acknowledged that the Monegasque should have pushed harder after his tire change.
With seven races remaining, Verstappen still leads the drivers' championship, but his advantage is narrowing. In the constructors’ standings, McLaren has overtaken Red Bull, now sitting at the top with a 20-point lead. Piastri and Norris continue to drive the team towards a title that has eluded them since 1998, proving that this year’s Formula 1 season is anything but predictable.
