Written by Sofia Costantino, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
As at Monza, the battle at the front in Baku was a showdown between the papaya team and the historic Cavallino.
However, unlike the Italian Grand Prix, where Leclerc triumphed through clever strategy and tyre management, the Aussie Oscar Piastri claimed victory in Azerbaijan, fiercely defending his position during an intense second half of the race.
Let’s get into our race analysis so you’ll be all up to date for this weekend in Singapore.
The race began with a strong start from Leclerc, who maintained his lead over Piastri and Perez. The Mexican driver executed a well-timed attack on Sainz at Turn 2.
Once Leclerc cleared the McLaren in his DRS zone — an incredibly potent one on Baku's 2.2 km straight — the Ferrari's superior pace allowed him to pull away, establishing a six-second lead by the time of the first and only pit stop, where he switched from Medium to Hard tyres.
It seemed the only real threat would come from Piastri's undercut, but it appeared to be a minor concern with such a gap.
In a twist of fate, Piastri pitted just one lap before Leclerc and quickly reduced the gap to around two seconds, putting him within DRS range. Within two laps, the two were side by side, with Perez unexpectedly in close pursuit as well.
This marked an unusual race for the Red Bulls, as Perez outperformed Verstappen for the first time this season, maintaining a pace nearly 0.4 seconds faster per lap.
Despite an incident later on that left him scoreless, this weekend showed Perez’s competitive edge for the first time in over a year. As has been evident, the Mexican hasn’t been at his best unlike his teammate who’s still leading the driver’s championship.
The turning point came on lap 20 when Piastri overtook Leclerc with a bold manoeuvre into Turn 1. Leclerc couldn't counter, and from that moment on, he struggled to close the gap, remaining in Piastri’s mirrors but unable to mount a serious challenge.
The aerodynamic efficiency of the McLaren played a crucial role, particularly as Leclerc approached the DRS zone, with only six tenths separating them. It was nerve-wracking to see them up so close yet so far away.
There has been much speculation about the flexibility of McLaren’s wings, which may contribute to their straight-line speed. The FIA’s static tests can't replicate the dynamic forces acting on the wings during a race, making it difficult for rivals to challenge their setup.
Meanwhile, the smooth operator Carlos Sainz put in a solid performance but just two laps from the finish, he was involved in the incident with Perez. After a slow start, Sainz had clawed back a significant gap, rejoining the leading trio with three laps to go.
During this time, Leclerc’s tyre performance dropped, leading to a battle with the ensuing Mexican, while Sainz attempted to take advantage of their battle. However, a miscalculation on his part resulted in a collision, costing both drivers points and altering their championship standings.
On the other hand, Russell seized the opportunity, taking an unexpected podium finish after a relatively quiet race, reminiscent of his win earlier in Austria, when a collision handed him victory.
A little fun fact here, the day before during post quali’s interview he stated that the only way to get to the top was if the top three crashed… could we say he manifested it? Who knows.
Lando Norris and Max Verstappen had weekends they’d rather forget... Verstappen’s performance was notably underwhelming, while Norris’s qualifying woes nearly led to a lost points opportunity. His pit strategy of starting on Hard tyres paid off, allowing him to recover significant ground in the final laps.
As we head into the Singapore Grand Prix, the points situation tightens: Piastri is just 32 points behind Norris, who sits in second place, the latter 59 points behind Verstappen.
Nothing like last season. With seven races remaining, it’s an exciting time for both McLaren drivers, who are thriving and showing what they’re capable of. Leclerc, despite being third in the standings, is showing a much stronger Ferrari.
Last but not least, the impressive performances of rookies Franco Colapinto and Ollie Bearman deserves acknowledgement. Both finished in the points, placing eighth and tenth respectively.
Colapinto, replacing Sargeant for the season, helped Williams leapfrog Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship, achieving his very first points in Formula One.
Though his future may be uncertain as he doesn’t have a seat yet, he’s proving himself a strong contender, even more so with rumors doing the rounds of a possible seat for the next season.
Bearman, stepping in for Magnussen, made history by scoring points with two different teams in his rookie year. Like in Jeddah, he showcased skillful racing, balancing defense with moments of aggressive driving against seasoned competitors such as Hamilton. He promises to keep us entertained next season, even with Haas.
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