Max Verstappen dominated Formula 1‘s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, completing a lights-to-flag victory, as Oscar Piastri crashed out on the opening lap.
The Dutchman cemented his pole position advantage at the start and never looked back, as George Russell, battling illness, took second.
Carlos Sainz fulfilled his ambition of a first podium for Williams with third.
Team-mate Lando Norris had a big chance to close the gap in the Drivers’ title, but yet another McLaren pitstop issue condemned him to a disappointing seventh place.
At the start, Verstappen covered off Sainz, with Lawson following in behind. Everyone appeared to avoid chaos, except Piastri, who buried his McLaren into the wall at Turn 5.
A lock-up sent the Australian nose-first into the barrier, his race up in smoke, McLaren’s chances of winning the Constructors’ Championship in Baku dangling by a thread, and Norris presented with a golden opportunity to cut the gap at the top of the Drivers’ title.
Replays showed Piastri got it all wrong from the very start, jumping the lights and struggling with anti-stall which sent him tumbling to the back of the order before his shunt.
The Safety Car was out, with Alex Albon and Esteban Ocon opting to pit for tyres, having started at the back.
Russell had worked his way up to fifth, with Isack Hadjar jumping Norris for seventh. Hamilton had got up to 10th, just behind team-mate Leclerc.
On Lap 4, racing resumed with Verstappen maintaining the lead. The two Mercedes of Russell and Antonelli jostled for fourth, the Italian pushing his team-mate wide into Turn 1 and sening the Brit behind Tsunoda’s Red Bull.
Leclerc got ahead of Norris for eighth, with Hamilton sniffing over the McLaren. In 11th, Fernando Alonso was handed a five-second penalty for, like Piastri, moving before the signal at the start of the race.
Leclerc was now seventh ahead of Hadjar, who was falling into the clutches of Norris, who swept past the Racing Bulls around the outside of Turn 1.
Hamilton was next to look at the rookie, but managed to keep covering off the Ferrari.
Into Lap 7, and Verstappen was now 1.5 seconds ahead of Sainz, with Antonelli setting the fastest lap and swamping over Lawson, with Russell similarly looking racey behind Tsunoda.
Hamilton eventually got Hadjar for ninth, and set off in pursuit of Norris, as Russell continued to harry Tsunoda, the Japanese’s lack of pace bringing Norris, Leclerc and Hamilton closer to their battle.
Colapinto and Albon collide as Verstappen stretches lead
Russell was in no mood to be stuck behind the Red Bull any longer, and despite valiant attempts to hold him off, Tsunoda had to relent on Lap 10.
A rhythm formed, with little change at the front. Albon pitted on Lap 15 for the second time, putting on Hards to potentially see him through until the end.
Franco Colapinto was doing a manful job in 13th, but was beginning to form a DRS train behind him, as 12th-placed Alonso was just over seven seconds ahead.
Russell hinted over radio that he wished to get ahead of Antonelli to make a go at Lawson, citing a tyre advantage, or so he believed.
Hamilton had a close shave with the wall on Lap 17, but avoided contact and kept going as he chased Norris.
Colapinto was in for Hards, and fell into the clutches of Albon, and the two promptly came together at Turn 4, the Argentinian shutting the door with the Williams punting him sideways.
Albon’s front wing endplate was gone, and Colapinto was against the wall, but managed to get going again without much damage.
Antonelli pitted for Hards, and rejoined 12th, freeing his team-mate, as Leclerc came in on Lap 20, also for Hards.
Russell got into third into Lap 21, as Lawson pitted for Hards, rejoining in 10th, and immediately under pressure from Antonelli.
With the Racing Bulls’ tyres still cold, Lawson frantically weaved to get some temperature in them as Antonelli sniffed an opportunity to take the position.
The Italian, desperate to impress amid a run of poor results, opened up the DRS into Lap 22 and swept through into Turn 1.
At the front, Verstappen was now nearly seven seconds ahead of Sainz, who still held second with a similar gap to Russell in third place.
Norris was now fifth with Hamilton sixth, the pair both yet to pit, as Verstappen, on the same set of tyres, set the fastest lap on Lap 27.
Sainz pitted from second, taking on a set of Hards and rejoining in sixth, as Leclerc tried to hound Lawson for ninth.
Hadjar was coming under pressure from Antonelli in seventh place, the Frenchman’s Mediums wearing off. Begging his team to change, he came in at the end of Lap 29.
Norris was now fourth, yet to pit but having pulled out a gap of five seconds on Hamilton, the leading five cars all on their first set of rubber.
Hamilton was the first to do so, pitting on Lap 37, followed by Norris a lap later, and the Brit would have felt a sense of deja vu.
Like Monza, a sticking wheel slowed him, and at 4.1s, the stop saw him rejoin in eighth, throwing away another chance to make good upon Piastri’s retirement.
Tsunoda pitted a lap later, rejoining just ahead of Lawson, who made the most of the Japanese’s cold tyres to breeze through into fifth.
Russell jumps Sainz, Norris suffers second consecutive pit blunder
Russell pitted on Lap 40 as Norris put Leclerc under extreme pressure for seventh, aware that any little advantage will help his championship chances.
The Mercedes rejoined still in second, successfully undercutting Sainz, with all drivers now having stopped, apart from Verstappen, who had a 32 second lead.
Norris finally got by Leclerc for seventh, and was now setting off on a charge for Tsunoda and Antonelli.
Lap 43, and Tsunoda and Lawson’s battle resumed, in what was not just a battle for position, but a battle potentially for a seat within the Red Bull family in 2026.
Hamilton was up to eighth, picking up pace sufficiently to see Leclerc let him through.
Norris was now in DRS range of Tsunoda, inching into the battle with Lawson, knowing every point could count by the end of the title.
Lawson and Tsunoda frantically battled into Turn 1, with Norris keeping a watching brief behind, as Hamilton crept into view behind them.
In the midst of the closeness behind, Verstappen pitted for Mediums and still held a lead of around 14 seconds ahead of Russell in second.
Thaw Lawson-Tsunoda-Norris-Hamilton dual seemed to settle and form into a DRS train, as up ahead in fourth, Antonelli was 1.5s behind Sainz.
Norris began the final lap looking to take Tsunoda, but was unable to find a way past, as the train continued.
But for Verstappen, it was all a bit of a formality, as he took victory by nearly 15 seconds from Russell, as Sainz grabbed his much-wanted first podium for Williams.
Antonelli took a morale-boosting fourth, with Lawson fifth, Tsunoda sixth, Norris seventh, a meagre showing given the opportunity Piastri’s retirement presented to him, and Hamilton eighth.
Leclerc and Hadjar completed the top 10, as the rain held off to deny even more drama towards the finish.
READ MORE – F1 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Race Results
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