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Associated Press

After a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it seems like nearly half the field is capable of winning races in Formula One.
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown, whose driver Lando Norris is Max Verstappen’s closest title challenger, said he was enjoying the best show he had seen in his eight years in F1.
There have been six different winners in the past eight races, representing four different teams. Verstappen, whose dominance in 2022 and 2023 broke records, still led the standings but his last win was in June.
“I think this is the best season I can think of ever in Formula One since I’ve been here,” Brown said.
Brown even suggested it could be better than the 2021 fight between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, which was decided on the final lap of the year and helped fuel F1’s Netflix boom.

“That was mega exciting, but it’s just two guys, two good guys,” he said. “Now you’ve got four good teams in today’s race.
“To have four teams that can win any weekend, and [Sergio] Perez was obviously back on form today, eight drivers going into Singapore and we’re going, ‘I don’t know which of these four teams might win. I don’t know which of these eight drivers might win’. I can’t recall Formula One having that level of competitiveness.”
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took the win in Baku, but only after a daring overtake on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Perez was in the mix for Red Bull until he and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jnr collided, handing third to Mercedes driver George Russell.
Further back, Norris surged through the field from 15th on the grid to finish fourth ahead of Verstappen and take another bite out of the champion’s standings lead.
Teams’ performances have fluctuated week by week, depending on upgrades from the factories, track conditions and set-up changes such as the one that Verstappen blamed for ruining his weekend in Azerbaijan.
Even a change of tyres could turn an also-ran into a contender, Russell said.
“Just in this one race, we had a car that could have won if you took the pace from half of the race and a car that should have been outside the top 10 from the other half,” he said, adding: “So I hope we’ve got the faster version” for next week’s race in Singapore.
The Singapore street track hosted one of the most competitive races of an otherwise Red Bull-dominated 2023 season. On worn tyres, Sainz held off Norris’ McLaren and the two Mercedes of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and Russell, who crashed from third on the last lap.
Piastri is F1’s in-form driver, with the most points of anyone in the past seven races.
“We’ve been in with a chance everywhere, and I think today was definitely one of those days where we weren’t necessarily the quickest, but we had a car that could put us in the fight,” the Australian said.
“We had a pit stop that could put us in the fight. We had some teamwork that put us in the fight. And it all managed to pay off.”


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Formula One (F1)

Formula 1: McLaren chief praises ‘best season’ with sixth different winner in past 8 races

Australian driver Oscar Piastri’s win in the  Azerbaijan Grand Prix made him the sixth different winner in the past eight races. Photo: EPA

Max Verstappen (left) and Lando Norris are the top two in the tight drivers’ standings. Photo: Xinhua

Formula One: McLaren overtake Red Bull in race for constructors’ title after Piastri win

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri is sprayed by teammates in the garage after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. Photo: Reuters

China’s Zhou Guanyu had his best finish weeks but still hasn’t won a point this year. Photo: EPA-EFE

Formula One: star designer Newey to join Aston Martin next year, will become shareholder

Aston Martin’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso makes a pit stop during the Italian Grand Prix. Adrian Newey will join the team on March 1. Photo: AFP

Red Bull technical director Adrian Newey arrives ahead of third free practice in Monaco. Photo: AP

Formula 1: Singapore teen makes history by securing seat on FIA Formula 3 Championship grid

Christian Ho, 17, has become the first Singaporean driver to sign with FIA Formula 3. Photo: Dutch Photo Agency

Christian Ho (centre) has regularly topped the charts in his age groups. Photo: Dutch Photo Agency

Sport

Zak Brown says this season could be better than even 2021, which was decided on the final lap of the year and helped fuel the Netflix boom


Zak Brown says this season could be better than even 2021, which was decided on the final lap of the year and helped fuel the Netflix boom.
