The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is being hailed by international media as ‘the most spectacular race of the season’. The spectacle in Baku had it all – an unexpected winner in Oscar Piastri, a comeback race from Lando Norris, and the dramatic crash between Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz. The only exception was Max Verstappen, who played a ‘supporting role’ with his fifth-place finish in the sensational street race.
Highlights of the Race
The Italian sports newspaper, La Gazzetta dello Sport, struggled to summarize Sunday’s race within its pages. Oscar Piastri’s performance certainly didn’t go unnoticed. “The Australian from McLaren fought like a seasoned champion,” according to La Gazzetta. His teammate, Lando Norris, meanwhile, drove a ‘good comeback race’ and scored valuable points for his team. The papayas now stand in first place in the constructors’ championship.
Rookies Shine
The ‘rookies’ were also praised for their performances. Both Oliver Bearman, who stepped in at Haas, and Franco Colapinto finished in the top ten. Championship leader Max Verstappen, who once again struggled with his RB20, had a ‘minor role’ during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “Anonymous and as always plagued by problems,” the Italians concluded.
Praise for McLaren
At the BBC, there is naturally enough attention paid to Lando Norris’s comeback race. The Englishman made up over ten places and finished above title rival Max Verstappen. “An extraordinarily strong performance,” writes the journalist on duty. “Norris defeated Verstappen while his teammate won an exciting Azerbaijan GP.”
Our Eastern neighbors are just as enthusiastic about McLaren, which started the race with a clear disadvantage. “All eyes were on Oscar Piastri,” writes BILD. “The Australian secured the lead in lap twenty and did not let go of it afterwards. A world-class performance!”
However, the Germans are aware that Lando Norris should have maximized here. The 24-year-old driver still has a lot of points to make up to catch up with Max Verstappen. “McLaren actually had the wrong winner, Norris only made up three measly points on his rival,” reads the report. “Oscar Piastri is the big winner – just like Formula 1. This race had everything to offer!”
Unpredictable
The French L’Equipe also believes that Formula 1 is secretly the winner of the Azerbaijan GP. The season remains incredibly unpredictable. “Do you want to feel stupid? Then try to predict what will happen in Formula 1,” they write in France. “Let alone who becomes champion, even the next ten minutes in a Grand Prix are unpredictable.”
“The result in Baku is therefore astonishing,” continues L’Equipe. “Max Verstappen was defeated by Lando Norris, who started ten places behind him, Carlos Sainz and Sergio Pérez who ended up together in the wall and a frustrated Charles Leclerc who let the victory pass him by. The season has become totally unpredictable.”
