Oscar Piastri triumphs in dramatic fashion at Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Damian Hall
- Sep 15, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 21, 2024
15th September 2024
McLaren lead Constructors' Championship after win
McLaren's Oscar Piastri secured a hard-fought victory on the streets of Baku today (Sept 15) in what he described as “one of the best races of my career”, reports Damian Hall.
The race, marked by intense strategy and on-track battles, saw Piastri rise to the challenge, ultimately leading McLaren to the top of the Constructors’ Championship.
Reflecting on McLaren’s resurgence, Piastri said: “Considering where we started when I joined last year, we were literally last. Now we’re leading the world championship. It’s full credit to the team, both for improving the car and helping me improve as well. Results like this weren’t possible 12 months ago, so it’s a massive team effort, and I’m excited to see what the future holds”.
As the race got underway, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Piastri immediately engaged in a fierce battle, with Leclerc maintaining his lead through the first stint.
By lap 20, the race saw its first major turning point. Piastri overtook Leclerc with a daring late-braking move into Turn 1. Leclerc fought back but was unable to retake the lead as Piastri defended his position with precision. From that moment, the young Australian was in command, fending off multiple challenges from Leclerc throughout the race.
“After the stop, we were pretty close again, and I felt like we had a bit of extra grip,” Piastri said. “I knew if I didn’t get past early in the stint, I wouldn’t get another chance. I went for a pretty big lunge and managed to pull it off. Holding on for dear life for the next 35 lap – this definitely goes down as one of the best races of my career.”
As the race hit its midpoint, the battle between Piastri and Leclerc intensified. Leclerc made multiple attempts to regain the lead, attacking on lap 29, then again on laps 31 and 33, but Piastri expertly held his ground each time.
The 23-tear-old McLaren driver’s strategy was as tactical as it was defensive. By managing his battery deployment and slowing in key sections of the track, he inadvertently forced Leclerc into a vulnerable position, backing him up into the charging Red Bull of Sergio Perez.
This pressure led to a thrilling final phase of the race.
With Leclerc’s tyres fading, Perez made a move for second place on the penultimate lap, briefly overtaking Leclerc. However, the Ferrari driver fought back with a brilliant defensive move, allowing Sainz to take advantage and slip into third. Desperate to recover, Perez went side by side with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, but the two collided, sending both cars into the barriers and out of the race.
The race ended under virtual safety car conditions, securing Piastri’s victory. George Russell inherited third place and was candid about his unexpected podium finish.
“I’m definitely surprised,” Russell said after the race. “[I’m] glad to see Checo [Perez] and Carlos are okay. We should have finished 5th today – I don’t want to get carried away with this podium.
Leclerc, who finished second, expressed his frustration: “Toward the end, in one corner or two, I thought I was going to put it in the wall. I think McLaren had a bit less downforce, so on the straights, they were quicker, but we were better in the corners. I lost the race where I didn’t defend as well as I should have”.
Meanwhile, McLaren’s Lando Norris, who started from 15th on hard tyres, played the long game. His tyre strategy paid off with a late push and a pass on Championship rival Max Verstappen, as the two finished fourth and fifth, respectively, after Perez and Sainz retired.
Lewis Hamilton finished 9th after a pit lane start due to the team changing power unit elements without the approval of the FIA Technical Delegation during parc ferme.
With just seven more races remaining in the season, the battle for both the drivers’ and constructors’ titles is heating up.
Currently, McLaren lead the Constructors’ Championship with 476 points, Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT follows with 456, and Ferrari closes the top three with 425. In the Drivers’ Championship, Verstappen leads with 313 points, Norris is 59 points behind with 254, Leclerc has 235, and today’s winner Piastri is still mathematically in the fight with 222 points.
F1 travels to Singapore next weekend (September 20-22).
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