Piastri resists Leclerc’s attacks in Azerbaijan and Carlos Sainz loses podium due to accident

This is what I needed Formula 1. Long established under the yoke of Max Verstappen and plunged into monotony, this season leaves passages which reconcile this sport with the spectacle. [Así vivimos la victoria de Piastri en el GP de Azerbaiyán]

Oscar Piastri won a magnificent victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in one of the most exciting endings in recent memory. That of McLaren resisted the constant attacks of Charles Leclerc for many laps and takes his second victory of the season.

The worst news came on the penultimate lap of the race. Carlos Sainz had made an incredible comeback, hiding for many laps in what was happening among the top three, and he threw himself fully into the fight for the podium.

However, just as he managed to reach third position, a collision with Checo Pérez caused both drivers to crash into the wall, destroying their cars and retiring a few kilometres from the finish.

Fernando Alonso, for his part, took advantage of this accident and, without making too much noise, moved up to sixth position. A good position that allows him to continue adding points in the World Cup.

An exciting day

With Leclerc starting on pole, the Monegasque managed to keep his first place at the start and began to establish himself as the leader of the race. This good news for Ferrari was not confirmed a little further on, because Sainz, who started third, lost his place with Czech Perez just after the start of the Grand Prix.

During the first stops, the race began to stabilise without too many shocks or developments, but after a moment of lethargy in this Grand Prix, an exciting panorama immediately began to emerge in the fight for victory.

With Verstappen once again away from the spotlight and closely followed, Piastri, Leclerc and Checo Perez formed a leading trio that left some very emotional moments.

It was that of McLaren the one who managed to beat Leclerc, thus opening the season of hostilities in this Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It seemed that the Ferrari driver had a better pace and that it would only be a matter of time before he could regain the lead, but events revealed a very different reality.

The Monegasque tried several times to overcome a Piastri who was exerting unusual resistance. Always with the breath of Leclerc Closely in the rearview mirror, he saved that first position like gold and ended up taking the victory.

In these last laps, Carlos Sainz got involved in the fight for the podium. After first leaving Norris and then Albon behind him, he finished fourth just behind Pérez and Leclerc. The hopes of the Madrilenian grew even more when he managed to position himself third after one of his attacks, but everything collapsed immediately.

Trying to save his position, he slightly changed his trajectory to the left, but Perez was already there trying to regain the lost position. As a result, both men crashed their cars into the wall and had to say goodbye in the penultimate corner. A sad end to a career that left moments of great emotion and led to the promotion of Russel in third place.