Oscar Piastri wins in Baku, holds off Leclerc challenge

McLaren's Oscar Piastri secured his second Formula 1 victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, overcoming a strong challenge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc on the streets of Baku.

Piastri, who started second, took the lead from pole-sitter Leclerc on lap 20 with a late braking maneuver into Turn 1.

Despite Leclerc's persistent efforts to reclaim the top spot, Piastri maintained his position to the checkered flag.

Mercedes driver George Russell completed the podium in third place, benefiting from a late collision between Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz on the penultimate lap.

The incident brought out the virtual safety car, solidifying the final race order.

Lando Norris, Piastri's McLaren teammate, put in a remarkable performance, climbing from 15th on the grid to finish fourth.

Norris, who started on hard tyres, managed to overtake world champion Max Verstappen in the latter stages of the race.

Verstappen struggled throughout with rear-end bouncing, hampering his pace.

Fernando Alonso finished sixth for Aston Martin, followed by Williams driver Alex Albon in seventh.

Rookie Franco Colapinto impressed with an eighth-place finish in only his second grand prix.

Lewis Hamilton, starting from the pit lane after overnight car changes, recovered to ninth. Oliver Bearman scored his maiden Formula 1 point for Haas in tenth place.

The race saw two retirements: Yuki Tsunoda's RB suffered floor damage after a first-lap clash with Lance Stroll, while Perez and Sainz's late collision ended their races.

Norris's strong performance, including setting the fastest lap, allowed him to reduce Verstappen's championship lead to 59 points.