2 days Ago By [email protected] (Samuel Meade)
Both Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri thought they were up against a superior package in Baku with the McLaren driver eventually winning their race-long duel. Leclerc started on pole in Azerbaijan but couldn't convert that into a second successive race win as Piastri got the better of him to take his second victory in F1. The Ferrari man breezed away in the first stint, opening up a comfortable lead before the pit stops.
After that Piastri was able to close up and the McLaren driver sent an ambitious lunge into the first corner and was able to make it stick to take the lead. The Australian then had to defend from the Ferrari for over half the race with the long pit straight allowing for numerous overtaking opportunities. Piastri was able to get his elbows out and hold off his rival - who had beaten him at the Italian Grand Prix just weeks earlier.
Leclerc's tyres eventually gave way and the McLaren won by over 10 seconds with the Monaco-born driver suggesting the British team had more pace - paying tribute to the race winner. He said: "They were stronger today and Oscar has done an incredible job in turn one - I saw him on my inside and I was not too stressed. I didn't want to defend like crazy because I still had cold tyres, so I didn't let him pass but probably made his life a little bit too easy, thinking that it would be possible then with DRS to overtake him again.
"But they were actually very fast in the straights and I never really had the opportunity again to overtake, so that was a bad decision from my side.” Piastri though believes McLaren were able to overcome a pace disadvantage to take the win - citing Leclerc's opening stint as proof of how much speed was in the Ferrari. The Australian though was able to place his car smartly, especially in the opening corners, to keep Lelerc at bay.
He said: "I don't necessarily think we're the fastest car on track today - you look at Charles' first stint, he was driving away pretty comfortably. I don't think I was the quickest car on track in the second stint either, but we had just enough in the right places to keep him behind." Piastri and Leclerc are only separated by three years in age and are poised to fight at the front of the grid for the next decade.
Both men are seen as future world champions and are battling for third spot in the driver's standings. Currently the Ferrari man holds a narrow 13 point lead. McLaren and Ferrari are also set to jostle for the constructor's championship.
There are 51 points separating leaders McLaren and Ferrari in third with Red Bull's performance currently a major concern for the world champions..
