This afternoon, the teams readied themselves for a chaotic 2025 Azerbaijan GP after the results of yesterday’s qualifying session. With rain on the radar and stoppages expected, the drivers prepared themselves for another eventful race day. Max Verstappen started on pole position with Carlos Sainz alongside him, his first front row start at Williams.
Championship Leader Out!
Unfortunately, it went from bad to worse for Oscar Piastri as the McLaren driver jumped the start, dropping to the back of the field before locking up and crashing out of the race on Lap 1. On a day when it was expected that McLaren would seal the Constructors’ championship, it was no more. However, it produced a fantastic opportunity for Lando Norris to close the gap to his teammate and championship rival.
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To add salt to the wound, Piastri was eventually awarded a five-second penalty for jumping the start. Fernando Alonso was also given a similar penalty as a result of reacting to Piastri, who started in front of him.
Let the Racing Begin
With the Safety Car back in the pits on lap 5, the real racing began. At the restart, Charles Leclerc attacked Norris, who reacted slowly. Elsewhere, the Mercedes teammates jostled for position, and George Russell lost places to Kimi Antonelli.
After a fantastic run in the early phase of the race, Liam Lawson felt the pressure as the Mercedes drivers joined the fight for P3. Antonelli and Russell closed in on Lawson, but lap after lap they failed to overtake the Kiwi. Just behind them, Norris stayed stuck behind Leclerc and couldn’t find a way past the Ferrari.
Box, Box
Franco Colapinto became the first driver, apart from Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon on lap 1, to make a pit stop. While fighting Albon on track, Colapinto spun and dropped more than 10 seconds behind the Williams driver. Albon’s luck turned soon after when he received a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with the Alpine. As the halfway mark approached, more drivers pitted, bringing strategy into play in the battles between the Ferraris and Norris, and the Mercedes and Lawson.
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For the second weekend in a row, Norris suffered from a slow pit stop, which cost him the chance to overcut the Ferraris. Russell enjoyed better fortune, as his stop put him ahead of Sainz. With fresher tyres, Norris quickly recovered and passed Leclerc after just one lap.
Sainz Holds Strong
With 10 laps remaining, Sainz continued to hold onto the final podium position, with Antonelli closing in behind. And just behind Antonelli, Lawson continued to successfully hold off Yuki Tsunoda, Norris and the Ferraris.
Baku Success for Verstappen
Up front, it was smooth sailing for Verstappen as he held a 15-second lead over Russell, his lead never under threat from start to finish. This win brings Verstappen ever closer to Norris and Piastri in the championship. After a tremendous drive, Russell ended the race in P2, with a 5-second gap to Sainz. And for the first time since Baku 2017, Williams secured a podium finish with Sainz completing the podium in P3.
Cover Photo Source: EverythingF1
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