Oscar Piastri delivered an outstanding performance to win the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of pole-sitter Charles Leclerc and George Russell. The victory, which Piastri calls his "best-ever" win, is his second career Grand Prix triumph.
MacLaren's Piastri’s victory was the 23-year-old’s second in only his second Formula One season. His feat took a drastic turn after he took the lead from Ferrari’s Lecrec on lap 20 and then defended it for 30 laps. Expectedly, Lecrec ducked, dived, and hurled himself at Piastri's gearbox as often as he could, but all efforts to regain his lead only sufficed a second-best finish.
Oscar Piastri Wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix Following Dramatic Ending to Race
After pulling off his second bold overtake in two races, Piastri pulled a late lunge that jolted Lecrec. Following this, the Australian put up a defensive masterclass to maintain his lead with only half a second for most of the fight while a thrilling late-minute drama that saw the race finish under VSC conditions ensued.
Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz collided just before the final lap as they vied for third. While both drivers were unhurt, the collision promoted Piastri's teammate, Lando Norris, to fourth. Norris’ fate would be a brilliant recovery drive after beginning the grid at the 15th position.
Norris also came home ahead of title rival Max Verstappen, whose car set-up took the blame for his subpar performance at the outing. Speaking of his victory, Piastri described the race as the “race of his life.” “That ranks as probably the best win of my career,” the Australian MacLaren driver said.
“Trying to soak up that pressure for so long, that was incredibly tough. I saw an opportunity or half an opportunity after the pit stop and knew I had to try and take it. I knew that getting to the lead was going to be one thing, but I knew I had my work cut out for me after that.”
Speaking about the breathtaking performance from Oscar, team principal Andrea Stella remarks after consideration: ‘‘What brilliance in Oscar's drive and what teamwork.’’ Oscar has the win and teammate Norris’ comeback to celebrate for longer as his team has overtaken Red Bull In the constructor’s championship by 20 points.
The event, hosted by the streets of Baku, marked the first time the franchise led the title race for a decade. It's also a remarkable testament to how much transformation the team has experienced.
Conclusion
With such an impossibly intense and enthralling race, Formula One could become flattered if its final third of the season mirrors the same compelling drama as the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The event saw a classic race of nose-to-tail dueling at the fore, which eventually gave way to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri’s win ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.