Formula One: McLaren overtake Red Bull in race for constructors’ title after Piastri win
Oscar Piastri delivers cool performance on the track, while teammate Lando Norris battles back from 15th to close gap on Max Verstappen
Oscar Piastri delivered a cool performance on and off the track on Sunday after his measured drive to win a tense and dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix lifted McLaren past Red Bull in the race for the constructors’ championship.
His win ended Red Bull’s more than two-year domination and confirmed that McLaren are now the team to beat having outscored all their rivals in the past seven races.
In a battle of attrition on the fast and technical 6km Baku street circuit, the 23-year-old Australian drove with control and aplomb to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started on pole for the fourth consecutive year.
“Well,” said the Australian with his trademark understatement on team radio. “That was the most stressful afternoon of my life. Thanks for the car. What a day that was. Thanks everyone.”
Piastri secured the lead on lap 20 when he dived down the inside at Turn One and finished 10.910 seconds clear of Leclerc, who was struggling on worn tyres in the closing laps.
George Russell, profiting from a late crash involving Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, finished third for Mercedes.
