The laps are ticking by and still the door remains closed to polesitter Charles Leclerc reclaiming his P1 position. Oscar Piastri's advantage is still just under seven tenths, but the road in front is clear for the Aussie.

"Are you seeing how I have to drive this thing?"

Daniel Eckersley: The battle at the front is an example of DRS working at its best, allowing not just the possibility of overtaking, but *re*overtaking, with Leclerc able to stay in the fight for the win having been passed

The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc gets ready for his latest attempt to pounce on Oscar Piastri's McLaren at Turn One but once again, the Monegasque driver is denied a way through.

Image source, Getty Images

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

The key is managing your tyres, Leclerc has got to push hard enough to maintain that DRS range, if he drops out of that Leclerc will start to pull away.

He doesn't want to take too much life out of the tyres for that reason because in the closing laps when you no longer worry so much about the tyres, it's all going to be about track position and maintaining that lead.

At that point, Leclerc will be taking massive risks.

While Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc are one and two, the Red Bull of Sergio Perez is the stalker in third, just waiting for the pair to slip up. As we complete lap 28 in Azerbaijan, the trio stays the same...

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Alex Albon has a McLaren and a Red Bull on his rear wing as the Williams man continues on his long stint on his starting hard tyre.

Oscar Piastri is clocking the fastest lap at the front of the field but Charles Leclerc is trying desperately trying to draw the McLaren in in order to mount an attack.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

What Verstappen means is they [the brakes] are not working as he would expect them to be, maybe they are overheating or glazing.

Lando Norris in sixth and Alex Albon in fifth are the two drivers at the front who have yet to make a trip to pits. Max Verstappen highlighted issues with his brakes earlier but the Red Bull man is sticking with his P7 spot for the moment.

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"The brakes are not working."

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Champion leader Verstappen cannot afford to take risks, he wants to get past Lando, he's got a quicker car. He might need to take a bit of a lunge but he knows Lando is not going to leave that door open for him.

Oscar Piastri is 0.821 seconds ahead of the Ferrari of Charles, who was hoping to make it fourth time lucky from pole position in Baku.

Behind the front-runners, Franco Colapinto is clinging on to his maiden point in Formula 1 in 10th position.

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Engineer: "Okay Lewis, everything you can do to get surface temperature down."

Hamilton: "I'm trying."

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It's not a big surprise [Norris is struggling on the hard tyres], it will be a compromise but he's got no choice than to run long unless they completely throw the strategy out the window, or they are gambling for a safety car.

The two rivals rivals have now met. Lando Norris is being hassled by Max Verstappen but just pushes away the threat of the three-time world champion.

A few moments later. Verstappen has a moment on the brakes and has to back off Norris' McLaren.

"Brakes are not working," says the Dutchman.

Image source, Getty Images

Jennie Gow
F1 pit-lane reporter

I've just spoken to Pirelli and they reckon that you can get to the end, how much performance you sacrifice is another question.

Even Lance Stroll who stopped on the first lap, they reckon he can make it to the end on these tyres.

The main straight and Turn One is where the action is now. The latest overtake is between a Ferrari and McLaren - but it's not Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri.

Carlos Sainz executes his own smooth pass on the Australian's team-mate Lando Norris. Sainz is now fifth, Norris has to sit in P6.

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"They are pushing like crazy or they have more grip than us."

The top three are as close as can be now. Oscar Piastri has that clear air out at the front but Charles Leclerc is wallowing in the dirty stuff and is having to push even harder against the pace of the McLaren.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

It was almost like Piastri caught Leclerc sleeping a little bit, maybe Leclerc didn't expect it just like we didn't. It just shows the confidence he's got on braking at such massively high speeds around a circuit like this.