Well done Baku – you’ve managed another year of hosting a thrilling Formula 1 race. The race-long duel between Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri set the key narrative for this year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but a wealth of action throughout the field all fought for second billing across the 51-lap race.
Of course, the stark differences in speeds between the Neftchilar Avenue ‘straight’ and the tight Old City section prompted much in the way of set-up compromise – and an ever-evolving track made it difficult for the teams to get their tyre preparations right. And, as we know, uncertainty is the key ingredient for an unpredictable race. An end-of-race crash, impressive rookie drivers, and alternate strategies all contributed to the cocktail.
And there was plenty more to get stuck into off-track, as the 2025 driver market slowly nears completion and the fallout of Adrian Newey’s impending move to Aston Martin began to settle upon the paddock. Let’s review the events in Baku, shall we?
1. Just how good Piastri can be in attack and defence
Piastri fought his way to first, then held off Leclerc’s advances
Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images
Oscar Piastri’s second Formula 1 career victory should, surely, one day be a contender for his best ever – a list that on this evidence will only grow. For the Baku race was so good overall and Charles Leclerc was on brilliant form and so hard to beat around a very tricky course, plus the eventual winner showed experience beyond his not even two years at the top level.
Piastri’s pass from way back on the approach to Turn 1 on lap 20 made the difference. He “completely ignored” engineer Tom Stallard’s advice not to make an early lunge on fragile new tyres basically immediately in his second stint. He then braked so late McLaren team boss Andrea Stella felt “my instinct was, ‘he’s gonna go long’”. But Piastri not only didn’t slide deep, he pretty much nailed the perfect racing line over the left-hander’s apex kerb.
PLUS: The radio message Piastri “ignored” to win Baku’s three-way fight thriller
Then he soaked up 25 laps of intense pressure – mainly via his judgement to get good traction in the 90-degree turns of sector one allying with the McLaren’s strengths on traction, plus taking risks in the middle sector where Ferrari’s greater downforce level meant it was better – before Leclerc lost DRS. He’d destroyed his hards in what turned out to…
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