Max Verstappen continued his resurgence in Formula 1 by clinching his second.
Consecutive win on Sunday at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025, delivering a commanding performance from pole position.The four-time world champion, who also won in Baku back in 2022, started from the front after a dramatic qualifying session and never looked back.This weekend has been incredible … winning here again feels fantastic,” Verstappen said in his post-race interview.
It was very straightforward, though not easy with the windy conditions. I’m incredibly happy with this result.
The Red Bull Racing driver has faced a challenging season, with his last victory before Monza in mid-May. However, back-to-back wins now signal his best form of the year and a potential late push in the drivers’ standings.Piastri’s Costly Mistakes Hand Rivals a Chance Azerbaijan
Championship leader Oscar Piastri had a disastrous race.
Crashing out before completing the first lap. Starting ninth after a qualifying incident, the Australian jumped the start, dropped to last, and hit the barriers at Turn 5.
The early exit left him watching trackside, giving his teammate Lando Norris a golden opportunity to close the points gap. But Norris, starting seventh, suffered from a slow pit stop on lap 38 and finished exactly where he started, leaving McLaren frustrated. Azerbaijan
Mercedes and Williams Shine
Mercedes enjoyed a strong outing as George Russell, battling illness, delivered an impressive drive from fifth to finish second. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Andrea Kimi Antonelli showed maturity with a solid fourth-place result.Carlos Sainz provided the feel-good story of the weekend by claiming third for Williams—marking the team’s first podium since 2021 and their first full-distance podium since 2017 in Baku.
Sainz described it as the best moment of my career.
Key Takeaways from Baku 2025.Max Verstappen dominates, signaling a Red Bull revival.Oscar Piastri keeps his championship lead despite crashing out.Carlos Sainz delivers Williams’ best result in years.Lando Norris fails to fully capitalize on teammate’s mistake.With seven races remaining, Verstappen still trails Piastri by 69 points, but his recent surge suggests the title battle is far from over. Azerbaijan
McLaren entered the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025 with a chance to seal the constructors .
Championship, but a troubled weekend in Baku means their celebrations will have to wait.Piastri’s Costly Errors Championship leader Oscar Piastri, who arrived in Baku with a 31-point advantage, endured his toughest race weekend of the season. After crashing in qualifying, the Australian lined up ninth on the grid. His grand prix fell apart before the lights even went out, when he jumped the start and triggered anti-stall, dropping to the back of the field.
Just five corners later, Piastri attempted an ambitious move around the outside of Esteban.
Ocon’s Haas, but with no grip available, he slid straight into the barriers—ending his race instantly. The incident snapped his remarkable 34-race points streak.
Reflecting on the weekend, Piastri admitted it was filled with “silly mistakes and lapses in judgment.” Azerbaijan
Norris Misses His Opportunity.
With Piastri out, teammate Lando Norris had a prime chance to close the championship gap. But his own race was far from smooth. After losing a place to Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar at the start, Norris recovered but found himself stuck behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the early stages.McLaren tried a long first stint to give him a tyre advantage later on, but a slow right-front.
wheel change cost him crucial time in the pits. It was his second consecutive pit stop issue after similar problems in Monza.
Although Norris reeled in Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson in the closing stages, Lawson’s brilliant defensive drive kept him locked in a DRS train. Norris finished behind both Red Bull drivers, unable to capitalize fully on Piastri’s retirement.
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Stella Defends Piastri After Rare Off-Weekend
Despite the mistakes, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was quick to defend Piastri, comparing his struggles to those of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, with whom he worked at Ferrari between 2002 and 2006.Even the greatest champions, including Schumacher, had weekends like this. The key is to learn from them,” Stella explained. “Events like these are not unusual and are part of every driver’s growth.” Azerbaijan
Stella emphasized that one bad weekend should not overshadow .
Piastri’s otherwise calm and composed season, where only two other notable mistakes had been recorded—spinning in Melbourne’s wet conditions and a penalty at Silverstone.
Takeaways from Baku 2025 Azerbaijan
McLaren miss chance to clinch constructors’ title.Oscar Piastri crashes out, ending a 34-race points streak.
Lando Norris limited by pit stop woes and traffic. Azerbaijan
Andrea Stella backs Piastri, likening his setback to Schumacher’s rare mistakes.
With Max Verstappen taking victory in Baku and momentum shifting toward Red Bull Racing, McLaren will need a strong comeback in the next round to tighten their grip on both titles.Oscar Piastri’s crash in Baku could have cost him dearly in the Formula 1 title race, but his main rival Lando Norris was unable to fully capitalize. Norris, who started seventh and finished in the same position, trimmed only six points from the deficit. Azerbaijan
With seven races remaining, Piastri still holds a 25-point lead—a margin that provides breathing room but could vanish in a single race if another DNF occurs.
Stella Confident in Piastri’s Resilience.McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who has previously worked with world champions Kimi Räikkönen and Fernando Alonso, expressed full confidence in Piastri’s ability to bounce back.I’ve had a chat with Oscar and his mind is already fully functional, processing. He’s already thinking: That’s what I’ve learned, now I look forward to the next one,” Stella said. “One of Oscar’s strongest traits is how quickly he learns, improves, and comes back stronger. Azerbaijan
That’s why he has been so successful in every category he’s raced.
Stella compared Piastri’s mindset to the greatest champions in the sport, highlighting his ability to compartmentalize mistakes and refocus immediately.
Looking Ahead in the Championship BattleWhile Piastri endured one of his toughest weekends of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2025, his overall consistency remains a major advantage.
Stella believes that the setback will only fuel his determination in the upcoming rounds.
“That’s exactly what will happen in his Formula One career, and we will see it in the remainder of the season,” Stella added.
With Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rediscovering form and McLaren’s internal rivalry intensifying, the final seven races are shaping up to deliver one of the most competitive finishes to a Formula 1 season in years.
