Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Lando Norris drove an extraordinary race to catch and pass title rival Max Verstappen as his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri won an engrossing Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The race ended under a virtual safety car after a crash between Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who collided while disputing third place with two laps to go.

Piastri pulled off an audacious pass on Charles Leclerc, who had led from pole position, to take the lead shortly after both had made their only pit stop for fresh tyres and held on for the rest of the race under immense pressure from the Ferrari.

And Norris fought back after his late pit stop, having started on the hard tyre while the leaders chose mediums, to pass Verstappen with three laps to go.

He took fourth place, promoted from sixth by the Perez-Sainz crash, one ahead of Verstappen.

Read the full report here

Image source, Getty Images

There's new leader in town in the constructors' championship.

After nearly two years, Red Bull are no longer top dogs: it's McLaren's title to lose now.

The team will be celebrating tonight thanks to a fantastic win from P2 for Oscar Piastri and superb recovery driver for Lando Norris to finish in fourth place.

It wasn't meant to be for Charles Leclerc, however; the Ferrari man's wait to convert an Azerbaijan Grand Prix pole into a race victory goes on.

Thanks for your company, folks, How about we come back together again next weekend for the Singapore Grand Prix from 20-22 September? Excellent.

First practice gets under way at the Marina Bay Street Circuit at 10:30 BST.

Enjoy your Sunday. See you soon!

Image source, BBC Sport

With a fierce battle for the race victory throughout and a dramatic crash to end proceedings in Baku, there are lots of questions you can ask BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson after that one.

Send all your thoughts using the link here.

This won't be a huge surprise, but Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez have been summoned to the stewards as a result of that lap-50 coming together as the two drivers were going toe-to-toe for that final podium place.

Perez certainly felt aggrieved by the Spaniard's move, while Sainz seemed more confused as to what had happened.

Red Bull have had to surrender their title advantage in the constructors' battle to McLaren and if the remaining races don't pick up, they could feel the heat from Ferrari in third, who are 31 points behind.

1. McLaren - 476

2. Red Bull - 456

3. Ferrari - 425

4. Mercedes - 309

5. Aston martin - 82

6. RB - 34

7. Haas - 29

8. Williams - 16

9. Alpine - 13

10. Sauber - 0

The fifth-placed finish hasn't dented Max Verstappen's title bid too much, as the Dutchman is still ahead of Lando Norris by 59 points.

However, Norris is under pressure from Charles Leclerc in third, with the McLaren driver's advantage just 19 points over the Ferrari man.

For race winner Oscar Piastri, his superb scoring run continues and now he trails Leclerc by only 13 points.

1. Max Verstapen - 313

2. Lando Norris - 254

3. Charles Leclerc - 235

4. Oscar Piastri - 222

5. Carlos Sainz - 184

6. Lewis Hamilton - 166

7. George Russell - 143

8. Sergio Perez - 143

9. Fernando Alonso - 58

10. Lance Stroll - 24

Image source, Getty Images

George Russell finishes in third for Mercedes, he said: “I am surprised [to be on the podium], I’m glad to see Carlos and Checo were ok but there was so much hard work from everyone in the team. There were engine changes in my team, engine changes for Lewis, so much going on and everyone working so hard.

“We had a really bad start of the race and I was dropping off a lot, but on the hard tyre I think we were one of the quickest out there and I think that was great. I got past Max and that is an added bonus to standing on the podium.”

On the most difficult moment of the race, he added: “Driving full gas into a wall of carbon fibre on the penultimate lap. That was crazy, the sun was coming down and you couldn’t see anything. I was shocked the safety car or virtual safety car didn’t come out sooner.”

On the next races, he said: “We’ve got to be realistic, we should have finished fifth today, that was the true result. With Lando’s qualifying yesterday he probably would have been up there as well so I don’t want to get carried away with ourselves with this podium. We have a lot of work to do and hopefully Singapore is a slightly better weekend.”

Image source, Reuters

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc who finished second in Baku after an intense battle with McLaren's Oscar Piastri: "I think as soon as we put the hard tyres on [when he realised he couldn't fight for P1].

"On the medium we were very competitive, and the car felt good. Unfortunately for me, we didn't do any high fuel running in FP1 and FP2. We went for a set up direction which in the race was a bit more difficult to manage. Especially on the hard tyres I was struggling to keep those rears and at the end I thought in one corner or two I could put it in the wall, it was very close.

"McLaren and Oscar have done an exceptional job and done better than us. A huge shame for Carlos on the last laps, hopefully everyone is OK and obviously not a great day for the team.

On the battle with Piastri: "It is enjoyable you've got many opportunities every lap. I think maybe McLaren had less downforce and in the straights they were very quick, in the corners we were a bit quicker. I couldn't get as close as I wanted and eventually we lost the race when I didn't defend as well as I could have at the end of the straight. Sometimes you make mistakes and I'll learn from it."

Image source, Getty Images

McLaren's Oscar Piastri takes his second race victory of the season, he said afterwards: “I tried at the start of the race to get in front and once I dropped out of DRS I didn’t have the race. After we stop I saw we were pretty close again, I felt like we had a little bit of extra grip and I had to go for it because knew that if I didn’t get past at the start of the stint that I was never going to get past.

“I went for a pretty big lunge and managed to pull it off and hang on for dear life for the next 35 laps. The last couple of laps when Leclerc dropped out of DRS were a little bit more relaxing but there’s no such thing as a relaxing lap around here so it was hard work. I think that definitely goes down as one of my better races of my career.”

On McLaren now leading the constructors’ championship, he added: “Considering where we started when I joined the team last year, we were literally last, and now we are leading the world championship. It’s full credit to the team and for the turnaround we’ve managed to have, first in terms of improving the car but also helping me improve as well.

"Results like this definitely weren’t possible 12 months ago for myself so it’s a massive team effort and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

The cooldown room chat was a mix of overtakes, potential moves with DRS, tyre life and shock at the final collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez. All three drivers comment that the pair have not exactly been best friends this weekend, after an impeding incident earlier in the weekend.

Oscar Piastri gets to hear the Australian national anthem in celebration of his victory. Then it's time for him to get a face full of champagne, which the McLaren driver has previously said really hurts when it's sprayed in your eyes.

Image source, Reuters

The win for Oscar Piastri, plus a fourth place and fastest lap extra point for Lando Norris, has lifted McLaren above Red Bull in the constructors' championship.

The gap between McLaren and Red Bull after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is 20 points, with the Red Bull losing out heavily because of that crash for Sergio Perez.

Image source, Getty Images

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

13. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

14. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

15. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

16. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

DNF. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

DNF. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

DNF. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

DNF. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3. George Russell (Mercedes)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

6. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

7. Alex Albon (Williams)

8. Franco Colapinto (Williams)

9. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

10. Ollie Bearman (Haas)

Image source, Reuters

Two subbing appearances, points scored at both grands prix. British teenager Ollie Bearman, in for the banned Kevin Magnussen at Haas this weekend, takes his championship tally to seven points with a P10 finish in Azerbaijan.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It was such a mature drive, from that point on when he overtook Leclerc it was stressful because he had his mirrors full of a Ferrari, a Red Bull and a second Ferrari as well all of the way through the second half of that race.

He had to defend, he had to be constantly worrying about where the attack was going to come from behind and he didn't put a foot wrong.

The celebrations are muted for Charles Leclerc with his Ferrari crew.

For McLaren, it's big huga all round for Oscar Piastri, while Lando Norris, who ends his day taking P4 after that collision, gets a load of handshakes from the team.

Ben Edwards
F1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It's McLarens first ever win in Baku, their first podium in Baku. This is McLarens fourth win of 2024 and it puts them ahead in the Constructors' Championship.

Congratulations to Williams! With that late crash between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, both Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon have scored points in Azerbaijan.

Albon finishes P7 and newbie Colapinto, who has never driven the streets of Baku, ending his race in P8 where he started.

Ben Edwards
F1 commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It was a fantastic performance from Oscar Piastri and he is on target to take victory as we are under the virtual safety car.

Piastri says it was "probably the most stressful afternoon of my life".