Piastri wins, Verstappen only fifth

With his thrilling victory in Baku, youngster Oscar Piastri lets McLaren dream of their first Formula 1 team title since 1998. The Australian, who had just been demoted to number two behind his team rival Lando Norris, showed his class at the Grand Prix in Azerbaijan and crossed the finish line first, just ahead of Ferrari star Charles Leclerc. Because world championship contender Norris managed to catch up from 15th place on the grid to 4th place, McLaren overtook Max Verstappen’s Red Bull racing team in the team rankings.

Consequently, the race ended with a bang, even before top model Naomi Campbell could wave the checkered flag. Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who had been on pole position in Baku for the fourth time in a row, was slowed down by Australian Oscar Piastri before the middle of the race.

The Ferrari driver then hung on the back of the McLaren until shortly before the end. A game of cat and mouse at 330 km/h, with numerous zigzag maneuvers and emergency braking. Despite being only 23 years old, Piastri kept his experienced pursuer behind him, but later admitted: “That was the most stressful race of my life.” The release of happiness hormones is now all the greater.

The collision between Sainz and Perez

On the penultimate lap, Leclerc’s rear tires failed, and his pursuers Sergio Perez in the Red Bull and Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari closed in close. Everyone wanted to catch the defenseless Leclerc on the straight, side by side the two cars raced towards the setting sun – until the Spaniard suddenly turned left, drove into Perez and forced him into the walls. Result: both out of the points, both uninjured, both cars scrapped. The race management did not want to blame either of the two squabblers for the main blame, so they went unpunished.

But the result was another points upgrade for Norris, who even finished fourth, and, in conjunction with Oscar Piastri’s second Formula 1 victory, a change at the top of the constructors’ world championship. For the first time in 55 races, Red Bull Racing had to give up the top spot in the money rankings. A perceived change of power, now backed up by results.

McLaren is now leading the team rankings for the first time in ten years, currently with 20 points. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has almost written off the team’s success in view of the technical form of the competition and the team’s own poor form. He says: “We urgently need to find speed.”

A turning point for Formula 1

He now sees the individual title as being in serious danger, although Verstappen is leading with 59 points out of 206 world championship points still up for grabs. The Dutchman, who recently described his erratic car as a “monster”, this time spoke disparagingly of a “go-kart”. And with Singapore next weekend, the next setback is looming on another street circuit, and the champions, who are under pressure, will only be able to make significant changes to the car during the break that follows.

Lando Norris is accordingly happy with his damage limitation: “As a team, we are currently the strongest.” Team boss Andrea Stella has initiated the renaissance with foresight and a steady hand, and in the past year and a half he has turned a midfield team into a top team. There hasn’t been such a big and quick jump up in the often rigid pecking order of Formula 1 for a long time, and certainly not during one season. A real turning point.