How 'world class' Oscar Piastri claimed second F1 victory in 'toughest' Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Updated . First published
Oscar Piastri has declared his Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory as the "toughest race" of his career.
Piastri took the lead from the pole-sitting Ferrari of Charles Leclerc on lap 20, and then withstood immense pressure for the 31 remaining tours of the Baku city circuit to claim his second F1 grand prix victory.
"He's no longer the next big star coming into F1, the star has well and truly arrived … perfect drive," Karun Chandhok said in commentary for Sky Sports F1.
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Having prevailed only due to the implementation of team orders in Hungary, there was no denying this triumph was all Piastri's doing.
Piastri sprays the winner's champagne on the Baku podium. Getty
"I had to work hard for that one … trying to hold Charles back for two thirds of the race wasn't very fun," Piastri told Chandhok after the race.
"But when you cross the line first it makes it all worth it. I worked incredibly hard. So I'm very happy to pull it off."
The move for the lead was a sensational late-braking manoeuvre right out of the Daniel Ricciardo playbook.
Under DRS at the end of a 2.2km long flat out drag into turn one, the 23-year-old sent his McLaren down the inside. The move came from so far back Leclerc chose not to defend it because he was sure Piastri was going to overshoot the corner into the run-off.
"To be honest I actually pulled it up with a bit more margin than I thought," Piastri said.
"Charles was very fair. He left me plenty of space – he probably thought I was going to go straight on.
"I was incredibly happy to pull that off – ultimately it won me the race."
But that was only part of the job. Leclerc was barely more than a second in arrears from then on, and on several occasions got in position to mount a similar attack into the first corner.
On each occasion, the 23-year-old Aussie, in only his second season of F1, was more than up to the challenge.
To add to the pressure, Sergio Perez was keeping a watching brief just behind Leclerc ready to capitalise on any errors himself.
Piastri got past Charles Leclerc with a bold move into turn one on lap 20. Getty
Having started second, Piastri had fallen well behind Leclerc by the time they made their one and only pit stop. McLaren later revealed he had overworked his tyres in trying to stick with Leclerc, a Baku master who had claimed pole in each of the last four years.
That prompted fears the Aussie would experience a severe loss of grip in the closing laps, which would have left him a sitting duck to those following.
Instead, it was Leclerc's tyres that went off and Piastri had pulled more than two seconds clear by the time the crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez all but ended the race.
Norris also briefly held up Sergio Perez in the pitstop cycle - a reversal of the expected McLaren narrative in Baku. Piastri had accepted he would play second fiddle to help Norris in his bid for a maiden drivers' title.
McLaren now sits top of the constructors' standings for the first time since 2014. This is also the first time since Miami in 2022 the constructors' standings hasn't been topped by Red Bull.
Verstappen still sits atop the drivers' standings, still 59 points ahead of Norris. Leclerc is 78 points behind, and Piastri 91.
Piastri is also the first Australian driver to win multiple F1 races in a season since Daniel Ricciardo in 2018. Ricciardo finished 13th in Azerbaijan.
Reflecting on McLaren's position in the championship, Piastri put it down to a team effort since arriving in 2023.
"Considering where we started when I joined the team last year, we were literally last, and now we are leading the world championship," he said.
Piastri celebrating his victory in the pits. Getty
"It's a full credit to the team in the turnaround we've been able to have in my 18 months here, firstly in terms of improving the car but helping me improve as well ... I'm excited to see what the future holds."
Also on Sky Sports, Piastri's manager, nine-time grand prix winner Mark Webber, said it was a "world-class" drive.
"To pull off a grand prix like that around a place like this, the discipline required, getting the move done, and then leading from the front was pretty world class to say the least," he said.
"He's done an extraordinary job, as has Lando and the whole team at McLaren.
"He's arrived, but he's got to keep his feet on the ground and keep working hard."
The F1 season continues with the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend.
