VERSTAPPEN DOMINATES AT BAKU AS SAINZ GETS FIRST PODIUM FOR WILLIAMS
Max Verstappen dominated the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from start to finish, while Lando Norris cut the gap to championship leader Oscar Piastri to 25 points after the Australian crashed out on the opening lap.
After one of the most chaotic qualifying sessions in recent memory, Verstappen lined up on pole for the sixth time this season. A jumbled grid left title contenders Norris and Piastri down in seventh and ninth respectively.
Verstappen, starting on the hard Pirelli compound compared to Carlos Sainz on mediums alongside him, immediately shut the door at the start to hold first place, with Sainz, Liam Lawson, and Andrea Kimi Antonelli slotting in behind.
Further back, Piastri made a costly error. He crept forward before the lights went out, stopped abruptly, and triggered anti-stall, plummeting to last before even reaching Turn 1. His disastrous start ended moments later when he hit the barriers at Turn 5, suffering his first DNF of the season and gifting Norris the chance to reduce the 31-point deficit in the standings.
Norris, however, initially struggled, slipping to P8 after being passed by Isack Hadjar, and then losing another spot to Charles Leclerc at the Safety Car restart on Lap 4 following Piastri’s crash.
Up ahead, Mercedes teammates battled at Turn 1, with George Russell forced to yield to Yuki Tsunoda and briefly falling back. Leclerc and Norris quickly gained ground when Hadjar ran wide, and Lewis Hamilton soon demoted the French rookie further.
By Lap 6, Verstappen had stretched his advantage to 1.5 seconds, while Lawson harried Sainz, and Antonelli was clear of the squabble between Tsunoda and Russell. Behind them, Fernando Alonso picked up a five-second penalty for jumping the start after reacting to Piastri’s error in front of him.
By Lap 10, Verstappen’s lead had grown to just over two seconds, with Sainz breaking clear of Lawson. Russell regained fifth place from Tsunoda, while Norris found himself stuck in a DRS train behind the Japanese driver, Hamilton close behind.
Midfield battles unfolded as Bearman and Albon overtook Pierre Gasly, while Colapinto, Stroll, and Hulkenberg fought over the fringes of the top 15.
Albon’s race turned sour after a clash with Colapinto post-pit stop at Turn 5 left the Alpine spinning and the Williams driver hit with a 10-second penalty.
At the front, Russell grew frustrated stuck behind teammate Antonelli, who couldn’t find a way past Lawson for third. Mercedes brought Antonelli in on Lap 18, followed shortly by Leclerc, then Lawson on Lap 20. The New Zealander rejoined just ahead of Antonelli, and their battle resumed.
By Lap 23, Verstappen was cruising with a seven-second lead over Sainz. Russell was third, Tsunoda fourth, and Norris stuck in fifth nearly 17 seconds down.
Sainz stopped for hards on Lap 27, rejoining sixth, while Antonelli edged into eighth past Gabriel Bortoleto. Hadjar also boxed, dropping into the midfield fight.
Norris, still chasing Tsunoda, switched to hard tyres on Lap 37 but lost time with a slow stop. He rejoined eighth behind Lawson and Leclerc. Red Bull quickly covered off, pitting Tsunoda, who narrowly stayed ahead of Lawson before losing the position into Turn 3.
Russell’s slick stop kept him second ahead of Sainz, while Verstappen’s routine service put him back in the lead comfortably.
In the closing stages, Norris passed Leclerc and pushed Tsunoda hard for sixth, but Lawson held firm for a career-best result. Verstappen, meanwhile, eased home to take consecutive wins and close within 69 points of Piastri with seven rounds remaining.
Russell finished second despite feeling unwell all weekend, while Sainz celebrated Williams’ first podium of the year in third after fending off Antonelli late on.
Lawson led Tsunoda and Norris, while McLaren’s difficult afternoon meant they missed their first chance to clinch the Constructors’ Championship. Hamilton and Leclerc finished eighth and ninth, with Hadjar rounding out the top 10.
Bortoleto, Bearman, Albon, and Esteban Ocon followed, while Alonso, Hulkenberg, Stroll, Gasly, and Colapinto completed the order. Piastri was the only retirement.
Formula 1 now heads to Singapore, with the Marina Bay Grand Prix set for October 3–5.
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