Piastri and McLaren come out on top in Azerbaijan

The Formula 1 weekend delivered another thrilling spectacle as Oscar Piastri triumphed over Charles Leclerc in a dramatic conclusion to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Piastri secured victory after a chaotic late-race battle, narrowly edging out Leclerc amidst a multi-car tussle on Baku's challenging street circuit. The race took a dramatic turn when both Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz crashed out in the closing laps.

At the start of the 51-lap race, Piastri trailed pole-sitter Leclerc but managed to overtake him following the front-runners' pit stops. Perez and Sainz soon joined the fight, turning it into an intense four-way contest for the lead.

Piastri held his ground, skillfully defending his position several times. Leclerc's tires began to degrade in the final laps, giving Piastri a small advantage and pulling the Ferrari into a battle with Perez and Sainz.

Chaos erupted on the penultimate lap when Perez attempted an overtake on Leclerc, leading to a wheel-to-wheel clash with Sainz. The collision between Turns 2 and 3 sent both drivers crashing into the barriers, ending their race.

With the race concluding under a Virtual Safety Car, Piastri celebrated his second Grand Prix win, calling it “the most stressful afternoon of my life.” His victory propelled McLaren to the top of the constructors' standings. Leclerc took second place, while George Russell benefitted from the Perez-Sainz incident to claim an unexpected podium for Mercedes.

Lando Norris, starting from P15 on an alternative strategy, overtook Max Verstappen late in the race to secure fourth place, while Fernando Alonso had a relatively quiet run, finishing sixth in his Aston Martin.

Williams had a strong showing, with Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto scoring valuable points. Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, recovering from a back-of-the-grid start due to engine issues, also secured points. Haas stand-in Ollie Bearman impressed with a finish just ahead of his more experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg.

Pierre Gasly climbed from the back of the grid to 12th after being disqualified from qualifying, while Daniel Ricciardo, Zhou Guanyu, and Esteban Ocon, who all suffered from power unit penalties, completed the field.

Valtteri Bottas was the last of the finishers, while Perez, Sainz, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda were forced to retire after incidents during the race, including a first-lap clash between Stroll and Tsunoda.

2024 Constructor Standings

1. McLaren Mercedes - 476 pts
2. Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT - 456 pts
3. Ferrari - 425 pts
4. Mercedes - 309 pts
5. Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes - 82 pts
6. RB Honda RBPT - 34 pts
7. Haas Ferrari - 29 pts
8. Williams Mercedes - 16 pts
9. Alpine Renault - 13 pts
10. Kick Sauber Ferrari - 0pts