Piastri defeats Leclerc with a little help from Norris as roles reverse at McLaren · RaceFans

When Alpine junior driver Oscar Piastri sealed the Formula 2 championship at his first attempt in 2021, establishing himself as the outstanding young talent in single-seater motorsport, his reward was something of a disappointment.

Although he had the chance to drive Formula 1 cars on a regular basis throughout 2022, he would not be racing. At all.

Piastri’s ambition far exceeded his patience, and in McLaren he found a team prepared to commit to him. Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix was further vindication of McLaren’s eagerness to sign him up two years ago.

The driver McLaren poached from their rivals was one whose potential had not been curbed by his year off the grid, but still had lessons to learn that only real racing would teach. Over the year, Piastri grew as his team did, finding more success following as he gained confidence. That first year yielded several podiums and even a sprint race win.

Piastri’s arrival coincided perfectly with McLaren’s return to competitiveness. The 23-year-old began to show the same steely determination and poise at the front of the field that so many of the sport’s greats have before him at a similar age.

He won in Hungary, where McLaren surprised many by deciding not to engineer a victory for his team mate Lando Norris. But heading into this weekend, McLaren made a difficult decision. With Norris was 44 points ahead of Piastri, and 62 behind championship leader Max Verstappen, from now until the end of the year the team would prioritise their leading driver.

All week in Baku, the heat of the late summer sun had nothing on the hot takes of paddock dwellers about McLaren’s change in policy. Rival drivers and team bosses were being polled on the matter by those paid to thrust microphones under their noses. But the two whose opinions mean the most, Piastri and Norris, took it in their stride, showing a level of professionalism and selflessness many drivers older than them never did throughout their time in the sport.

Fate has a sense of humour, however. So it would pass that the very first meaningful session since Norris officially received his team’s endorsement, misfortune left him down in 15th on the Azerbaijan grid. Piastri sat on the front row, 13 places ahead of his team mate and behind the very driver who denied him victory in the last round: Charles Leclerc

Sat between two Ferraris, but ahead of both Red Bulls, Piastri knew the best way for him to…