The streets of Baku delivered a thrilling race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, full of high-stakes drama and game-changing moments. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri stole the spotlight with a stunning victory that reshaped the Constructors’ Championship standings, while others were left licking their wounds as they boarded flights to Singapore. Lawrence Barretto highlights the key winners and losers from the race weekend.
Winners
1. Oscar Piastri
The greats know how to seize an opportunity, and Oscar Piastri did just that in Baku. The Australian showed his aggressive side, attacking pole-sitter Charles Leclerc for the lead just moments after being told to manage his tires. That bold move earned Piastri his second Grand Prix win.
Currently F1’s in-form driver, Piastri has now scored more points than anyone else on the grid over the last seven races, including two wins and two second-place finishes. Although a title challenge remains a distant prospect (he’s 91 points behind Verstappen), his form is pivotal in McLaren’s quest for their first Constructors’ Championship in over two decades. More importantly, Piastri is now firmly establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with.
2. George Russell
George Russell returned to the podium for the first time since his victory in Austria, securing his third podium of the season. Despite some frustration over tire performance after his compound switch, Russell can be satisfied with this weekend’s damage-limiting performance.
Russell was on the backfoot at the start of the weekend due to lost running time from a precautionary power unit change. Yet, he still emerged as the stronger Mercedes in qualifying and collected valuable points on Sunday, helped by inheriting positions after the Perez-Sainz collision.
3. Lando Norris
Lando Norris fought back brilliantly after a disappointing qualifying session that saw him eliminated in Q1 for the first time since last year’s Las Vegas GP. After starting 15th, Norris climbed to a stunning fourth place in the race, even setting the fastest lap.
Notably, Norris made up more than 15 seconds to catch and pass title rival Max Verstappen in the closing stages. His robust defense against Sergio Perez, at McLaren’s request to protect Piastri’s lead, was crucial to securing his teammate’s victory.
4. McLaren
McLaren is riding high after a transformative season. A one-two finish in Baku, with Piastri winning and Norris finishing fourth, propelled them to the top of the Constructors’ Championship standings for the first time since 2014.
With three wins in the last five races and an extended 13-race podium streak, McLaren is now 20 points ahead of Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship. The momentum is well and truly on their side.
5. Ollie Bearman
Ollie Bearman delivered another impressive performance as a stand-in for Kevin Magnussen, finishing 10th and scoring points for Haas. Outqualifying teammate Nico Hulkenberg and keeping pace with experienced competitors like Lewis Hamilton, Bearman once again proved he belongs in Formula 1.
Bearman’s points finish in Baku makes him the first driver in F1 history to score for two different constructors in his first two Grands Prix, after finishing seventh for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
6. Williams
Williams enjoyed their best result of the season, with Alex Albon finishing seventh and Franco Colapinto scoring his first F1 points in eighth. This double-points finish pushes the team above Alpine into eighth in the Constructors’ Championship, with a gap of just 13 points to Haas.
Both Albon and Colapinto demonstrated impressive race pace, maintaining their positions throughout the race. With an upgrade planned for Singapore, Williams heads into the next round with growing confidence.
Losers
1. Charles Leclerc
While Charles Leclerc excels in Baku during qualifying—securing his fourth consecutive pole at the circuit—his Sunday curse continued. Leclerc led the opening stint but admitted he didn’t defend hard enough when Piastri attacked. Despite his best efforts, Leclerc couldn’t reclaim the lead and had to settle for second, his best-ever result in Baku.
While it marked his fourth consecutive podium, Leclerc will be frustrated by his inability to convert poles into wins, with just one victory from his last 15 pole positions.
2. Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen had another tough weekend, being outperformed by teammate Sergio Perez throughout. Starting outside the top five for the third time in four races, Verstappen only finished higher than he started due to the Perez-Sainz crash. Despite a late charge on soft tires, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) prevented him from attempting the fastest lap.
Verstappen’s win drought extends to seven races, with just one podium in the last five events. Although his championship lead is still a healthy 59 points, it’s clear that his once-dominant form has slipped.
3. Sergio Perez & Carlos Sainz
Both Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz were having strong weekends until they collided while battling for P3. Perez had been performing better than Verstappen all weekend, and Sainz was in contention for his first podium since Austria. However, the crash ended both of their races, dealing a blow to their title and podium hopes.
4. Red Bull (RB)
Red Bull’s struggles continued in Baku, despite bringing upgrades. Yuki Tsunoda’s race was ruined early on after a collision with Lance Stroll, while Daniel Ricciardo suffered from unusual tire graining, which limited his ability to compete for points. Once secure in sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull now faces pressure from Haas, who are just five points behind.
5. Nico Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg had a race to forget in Baku. Outqualified by stand-in teammate Bearman, Hulkenberg made two costly errors during the race, one of which allowed Bearman and Lewis Hamilton to pass him. Hulkenberg crossed the line 11th for the seventh time this season, setting a new record for the most finishes one place outside the points in a single campaign.
6. Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon’s race was over almost as soon as it began. Mechanical issues left him without a chance to set a competitive time, forcing him to retire early and leaving Baku with zero points. A frustrating weekend for the Alpine driver, who heads to Singapore hoping for better fortunes.
