Tension in the title fight

Verstappen triumphs in Baku, fiasco for Piastri

Max Verstappen takes victory in Baku and creeps closer to the McLaren drivers in the title fight.(Bild: AP/Associated Press)

World champion Max Verstappen has taken victory in the Baku Grand Prix and stalked his way back into the title fight. World championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed into the wall on the very first lap and had to retire from the race. Teammate Lando Norris only finished the race in seventh place. Behind Verstappen, George Russell in the Mercedes and Williams driver Carlos Sainz finished on the podium.

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen celebrated a commanding start-finish victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Dutch Red Bull driver won for the fourth time this season on Sunday in Baku, with Mercedes driver George Russell and Carlos Sainz in the Williams completing the podium. McLaren, on the other hand, experienced a Grand Prix to forget. World championship leader Oscar Piastri retired on the first lap, while team-mate Lando Norris was unable to finish higher than seventh.

As a result, the damage for Piastri in the world championship duel with Norris was limited, with the Australian now leading the British driver by 25 points after the 17th of 24 races this season. Meanwhile, the flawless Verstappen, who was 69 points behind in the championship battle, drove to his 67th Grand Prix victory and second in a row after Monza. In the end, the defending champion had a lead of almost 15 seconds over Russell. "An incredible race, on fire!" Verstappen radioed back to the pits, satisfied.

"The first win here just feels fantastic," added the 27-year-old in the winner's interview after what was a quiet race for him. His car worked really well, he said. "I'm incredibly happy with our performance. Fortunately, there weren't that many safety cars."

(Bild: EPA/ALI HAIDER)

Rare Piastri blunder
In the chaotic qualifying session the day before with six red flags, Verstappen had secured first place on the grid for the first time in Baku. Sainz and Lawson started the race behind him, while Norris (7th) and last year's winner Piastri (9th) had a race to catch up. In contrast to his direct rivals, Verstappen chose the hardest tire compound and easily defended the top position. Behind him, Piastri fluffed his start, dropped back to the rear of the field and shortly afterwards braked heavily into the wall, as he had done the day before. This ended a series of 34 Grands Prix and six sprints in the points for the Australian.

This was followed by a safety car period, and Verstappen again made no mistake at the restart. While the four-time champion extended his lead over Sainz and Lawson, Leclerc, Norris and Hamilton were stuck in seventh, eighth and ninth place. Meanwhile, Piastri made himself comfortable on the side of the track just a few meters from the scene of the accident with two bottles of water and a banana and followed the race on a smartphone.

Russell strategy successful
Antonelli opened the series of pit stops on the 19th of 51 laps. Verstappen, like Russell and Norris, waited longer to carry out his only tire change. Norris pitted on the 38th lap, a slow stop capping off a botched Papaya weekend on a negative note. Russell, on the other hand, managed to strategically pass Sainz and secure second place.

The drivers coped much better with the once again gusty conditions in the "City of Winds" than the day before, and apart from Piastri's mistake, the race was completed without any major accidents. Even the forecast rain did not show up in the final phase.