The 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix delivered plenty of excitement, with Oscar Piastri claiming a stunning victory and McLaren leapfrogging Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship. Charles Leclerc, who dominated much of the race, suffered a tire drop-off that relegated him to second place, while George Russell snatched an unexpected podium after late-race chaos. Meanwhile, Lando Norris finished ahead of title rival Max Verstappen, and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top six. However, as some drivers celebrated, others were left licking their wounds. Here’s a breakdown of the winners and losers from Baku.
Winner: Oscar Piastri – Silence the Doubters, Conquer the Track
In a race where McLaren’s hopes were placed squarely on Oscar Piastri’s shoulders, the young Australian delivered a performance that silenced any lingering critics. Following the controversial “papaya rules” at Monza, where team orders favored Lando Norris, Piastri responded in the best way possible—with a dominant race in Baku.
Qualifying second behind Leclerc, Piastri showed immense pace throughout the opening stint, sticking close to the Ferrari and taking the lead on Lap 20 after a daring move into Turn 1. From there, he masterfully managed his tires and fended off Leclerc’s attacks, securing his second career F1 victory. For Piastri, it was a race to remember, proving he’s not just a “number two” driver.
Winner: Charles Leclerc – Pole Master, Yet Another Near Miss
Charles Leclerc’s talent on street circuits was on full display as he secured his fourth consecutive pole position in Azerbaijan. The Monegasque driver led much of the race but found himself under relentless pressure from Piastri, who ultimately capitalized on his warmer tires to seize the lead.
Leclerc’s efforts to retake P1 faltered as his tires fell off a cliff, forcing him to settle for a bittersweet second place. While it wasn’t the victory he craved, Leclerc could still take pride in his performance, though Ferrari’s strategic approach once again raises questions.
Winner: Williams – Back in the Points, and Back in the Fight
After a series of tough races, Williams finally found themselves back in the points at Baku. Both Alex Albon and rookie Franco Colapinto delivered impressive performances, making it into Q3 and then securing a double-points finish.
While Albon faced a bizarre pit stop error that left an airbox cooler attached to his car, Colapinto managed to finish in eighth place, scoring his first F1 points and becoming the first Argentinian to do so since Carlos Reutemann in 1982. With Williams now moving ahead of Alpine in the Constructors’ Championship, the team is riding high.
Winner: The Supersubs – Bearman and Colapinto Step Up
Rookies Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto tackled the demanding streets of Baku with the poise of seasoned drivers. Bearman, standing in for Kevin Magnussen at Haas, and Colapinto, fresh off his F2 win, both exceeded expectations.
Bearman qualified 11th, ahead of his experienced teammate Nico Hulkenberg, while Colapinto secured a stellar ninth. Both rookies finished in the points, with Colapinto taking eighth and Bearman grabbing 10th—an impressive achievement in only their second F1 race.
Loser: Alpine – A Weekend to Forget
Alpine’s dismal season continued in Azerbaijan. With reliability issues plaguing Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly disqualified from qualifying for a fuel flow violation, the team found themselves on the back foot.
Ocon’s race was doomed from the start, forced to begin from the pitlane, while Gasly’s struggles were compounded by his starting position at the back of the grid. Neither driver made any significant progress, with Gasly finishing 12th and Ocon trailing home in 15th, leaving Alpine scoreless once again.
Loser: Red Bull – Struggling at the Worst Possible Time
For Red Bull, the Azerbaijan GP was nothing short of a disaster. Max Verstappen, who has been nearly untouchable for much of the season, struggled with balance issues all weekend, leaving him out-qualified by teammate Sergio Perez for the first time in over a year.
Verstappen’s brake troubles saw him drop to seventh during the race, only managing to recover to fifth. Meanwhile, Perez, who was in the fight for a podium, collided with Carlos Sainz in the final laps, knocking both drivers out of the race. The incident, combined with McLaren’s rise, saw Red Bull lose their lead in the Constructors’ Championship.
Loser: Lewis Hamilton – Frustration in the Midfield
Lewis Hamilton’s Baku weekend went from promising to frustrating in the blink of an eye. Despite showing strong pace in practice, an engine change forced him to start from the pits, leaving him on the back foot from the get-go.
Hamilton spent most of the race mired in traffic and outside the points, but a series of late-race incidents promoted him to ninth, salvaging some points from a forgettable weekend.
Loser: RB – Ricciardo and Tsunoda Struggle Again
Red Bull’s junior team, RB, had another rough outing in Baku. Daniel Ricciardo, despite his previous success at this circuit, couldn’t make it out of Q1, continuing his streak of underwhelming qualifying performances.
While Ricciardo briefly ran in the points, poor strategy and tire degradation saw him finish a lowly 13th. Yuki Tsunoda fared little better, getting caught up in a clumsy collision with Lance Stroll that left him with significant damage and an early retirement. The result leaves RB desperately searching for answers as their season slips further away.
As the dust settles on the streets of Baku, McLaren and Piastri will be celebrating, while Red Bull and Ferrari will be left questioning what could have been. With the championship race heating up, the Azerbaijan GP has shown that nothing is guaranteed in Formula 1.
