2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Full Weekend Report & Highlights

Round 17 of the 2024 F1 season returned to the Caspian Sea for 51 laps of the Baku City Circuit for the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024.

Ben

By Ben Bush
Updated on October 10, 2024

Reviewed and checked by Lee Parker

Oscar Piastri McLaren 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Oscar Piastri (car no.81) wins the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix for McLaren // Image: McLaren Media

After a weekend break from the post-summer doubleheader, Formula 1’s exhilarating 2024 season charged ahead with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, set against the unique backdrop of Baku’s city streets. After a series of unpredictable races across mainland Europe, the sport now embarked on an eight-race finale spanning distant locations to close out the campaign.

Race Guide

Race weekend: 13 September 2024 – 15 September 2024
Race date: Sunday, 15 September, 2024
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Baku City Circuit
Laps: 51
Circuit length: 6.003km
2023 winner: Sergio Perez

Pole position
DriverCharles LeclercFerrari
Time1:41.365
Fastest lap
DriverLando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes
Time1:45.255 on lap 42
Podium
FirstOscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes
SecondCharles LeclercFerrari
ThirdGeorge RussellMercedes

Baku, the vibrant capital of Azerbaijan, is a city of contrasts. Known as the ‘City of Winds,’ it combines a modern, forward-thinking spirit with a rich historical tapestry. Situated along the shores of the Caspian Sea, the world’s largest inland body of water, Baku effortlessly blends its storied past with contemporary elegance.

What sets this Grand Prix apart is the track itself, which winds through the city’s historic heart, running alongside UNESCO-protected Medieval walls. Nowhere else on the F1 calendar does history meet racing so closely. The tight, challenging circuit punishes the smallest mistakes, with the proximity of these ancient walls amplifying the stakes for every driver.

Weekend schedule
DateSessionLocal Time
13 September 2024Free Practice 1 (FP1)1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time
13 September 2024Free Practice 2 (FP2)5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time
14 September 2024Free Practice 3 (FP3)12:30 pm – 1:30 pm local time
14 September 2024Qualifying4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time
15 September 2024Race3:00 pm local time

In Saturday afternoon qualifying, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc secured his fourth consecutive pole position at the Baku City Circuit, beating Oscar Piastri to the top spot during Saturday’s qualifying session for the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. There was drama for McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was eliminated in Q1. Leclerc posted a blistering lap time of 1m 41.365s, finishing around three-tenths ahead of Piastri in the final Q3 session, adding to his pole positions from 2021, 2022, and 2023 at the track. His teammate, Carlos Sainz, completed the top three.

On Sunday, Oscar Piastri held off Charles Leclerc to claim victory in a thrilling Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Lando Norris fought back to finish fourth ahead of Max Verstappen. Piastri emerged victorious after an intense battle for the lead with Leclerc throughout much of the race. The drama escalated on the penultimate lap when Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz collided while battling for third, resulting in a dramatic crash. George Russell capitalised on the incident to secure third place, with Norris overtaking Verstappen late on thanks to an alternative strategy. Norris reduced his gap to the Dutchman to 59 points with 7 races and 3 Sprints of the season remaining in the 2024 Drivers’ Championship battle. McLaren’s result gave them a 20-point lead in the Constructors’ Championship, overhauling Red Bull’s lead.

Championship background

The battle for the Drivers’ Championship remained wide open as Lando Norris continued to chip away at Max Verstappen’s lead, closing the gap to just 62 points after the 2024 Italian Grand Prix.

All eyes were on McLaren ahead of Baku to see if team orders came into play after Oscar Piastri made a bold pass on Norris during the opening lap in Italy, which played a significant role in denying his teammate a victory and the team a one-two finish. While Norris was left frustrated, Red Bull and their recent struggles jeopardised Verstappen’s Championship lead, with the Dutchman winless over the past six consecutive races of 2024.

If McLaren maintained its strong form, it could overtake Red Bull in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship, with the gap between the two teams before the race down to just eight points.

Meanwhile, Ferrari was eager to prove that the upgrades that delivered Charles Leclerc a triumphant victory in Italy were more than just a one-off ‘Monza special.’ Mercedes, on the other hand, were looking to recover after a disappointing run of form since the summer break.

Race entries

Adding to the excitement for British fans, Oliver Bearman stepped in for a driver once again in 2024. This time for the banned Kevin Magnussen at Haas. The British teenager, who was announced as a full-time driver for Haas in 2025, impressed earlier in the season when he filled in for Ferrari at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March.

Aside from Oliver Bearman’s appearance and Franco Colapinto now driving for Williams, all the drivers from the start of the season took to the track during FP1, FP2, FP3, Qualifying, and the Grand Prix.

Tyre choices

As is typical for a street circuit, Pirelli selected the three softest dry tyre compounds for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix: the C3 as Hard (marked white), C4 as Medium (marked yellow), and C5 as Soft (marked red). The Baku City Circuit, up until the 2024 season, had remained largely unchanged since its debut in 2016. The track including a mix of right-angle turns, particularly in the first sector, and slower, more technical sections through the old part of the city. With a high-speed section treated as a two-kilometre straight, leading to the start-finish line. The circuit’s width varies significantly, narrowing to just seven meters at turn 8 while being wide enough to accommodate three cars abreast on the main straight.

Since the track is open to city traffic when not in use for racing, track evolution would be key to performance, with changing conditions throughout the weekend. The hot September weather, significantly warmer than when the race was held in April, added another challenge. Track temperature can fluctuate depending on which sections are exposed to sunlight or shaded by buildings, particularly in the old city. Wind, channelled unpredictably by the buildings, can also affect car handling and catch drivers off guard.

Baku is known for its high speeds, with the fastest-ever recorded top speed in Formula 1, as of 2024, set here. Valtteri Bottas clocked 378 km/h in his Williams during qualifying for the 2016 event. The long main straight pushes tyres to their limit, especially given the downforce generated by modern F1 cars. However, with the track also demanding high aero grip in its slower sections, teams needed to strike a balance in their aerodynamic setup, relying on tyres for grip in those tight corners.

Strategically, Baku favours a one-stop race, with the hardest tyre often doing the bulk of the work. Despite the long straights, overtaking isn’t as simple as the layout might suggest, particularly with the minimal performance gaps between the leading teams this season. The effectiveness of DRS would be crucial, along with teams’ ability to respond quickly to incidents, as the likelihood of a Safety Car is high. In 2023, nearly all drivers started on Medium tyres before switching to Hards when a Safety Car appeared on lap 11.

Sergio Pérez holds a unique affinity for Baku, having won here twice (in 2021 and 2023) and taking victory in the 2023 Sprint. Six of his seven career F1 wins have come on street circuits, cementing his reputation as a street circuit specialist. On the other hand, Charles Leclerc claimed pole position in Baku for the past three years (2021-2023), earning him the title of ‘prince of poles’ for this circuit. When it comes to teams, Red Bull came into 2024 with four wins but no pole positions, while Ferrari had secured four poles, including one from Sebastian Vettel, but had never claimed victory in Baku. Red Bull and Mercedes had each made the podium six times, while Ferrari only had four podium finishes.

2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Tyre Choices
2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Tyre Choices // Image: © Pirelli

FIND OUT MORE

Free Practice

In FP1, Championship leader Max Verstappen topped a chaotic first practice session, with Charles Leclerc triggering one of three red flags after crashing his Ferrari. Verstappen’s late-session lap of 1:45.546 indicated Red Bull might be more competitive than in recent races, as the Dutchman aimed to maintain his 62-point lead over Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship. Lewis Hamilton secured second place for Mercedes, ahead of Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez. Norris finished fourth, followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fifth, with Norris’ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri taking sixth.

During FP2, Charles Leclerc narrowly beat Sergio Perez in a closely fought second practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as title contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris lagged behind. Leclerc, the last to complete his qualifying simulation, took advantage of improved track conditions to edge out Perez by just 0.006s, with Lewis Hamilton close behind in third, only 0.066s off the Ferrari driver. Championship leader Verstappen finished a distant sixth, 0.545s down on Leclerc, while Norris was unable to complete a fast lap on soft tyres due to traffic.

On Saturday, during FP3, George Russell topped the timesheets, edging out Charles Leclerc and the McLaren drivers as the fiercely competitive weekend in Baku continued. Russell, delivering a surprise performance for a Mercedes team that had lagged behind Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull earlier, posted the fastest time late in the session with a 1:42.514, thanks to a blistering final sector on the long straight. He was just 0.013 seconds quicker than the in-form Leclerc, marking the third different team to lead a practice session at the weekend and setting the stage for a highly anticipated qualifying showdown.

Full Free Practice Reports

Free Practice 1 Classification

FP1 was held on 13 September 2024, at 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarTimeGapLaps
11Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:45.54621
244Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:45.859+0.313s19
311Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:45.922+0.376s17
44Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:46.027+0.481s18
555Carlos SainzFerrari1:46.173+0.627s21
681Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:46.282+0.736s18
714Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:46.452+0.906s19
863George RussellMercedes1:46.516+0.970s18
916Charles LeclercFerrari1:46.608+1.062s11
103Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:46.687+1.141s23
1150Oliver BearmanHaas Ferrari1:46.973+1.427s23
1227Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:47.135+1.589s20
1318Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:47.184+1.638s15
1477Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:47.640+2.094s18
1522Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:47.708+2.162s21
1643Franco ColapintoWilliams Mercedes1:47.901+2.355s12
1723Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:47.955+2.409s17
1810Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:48.712+3.166s21
1924Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:49.052+3.506s19
2031Esteban OconAlpine Renault3
Free Practice 2 Classification

FP2 was held on 13 September 2024, at 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarTimeGapLaps
116Charles LeclercFerrari1:43.48420
211Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:43.490+0.006s23
344Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:43.550+0.066s22
455Carlos SainzFerrari1:43.950+0.466s25
581Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:43.983+0.499s25
61Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:44.029+0.545s24
718Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:44.093+0.609s24
827Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:44.475+0.991s24
963George RussellMercedes1:44.536+1.052s16
1050Oliver BearmanHaas Ferrari1:44.547+1.063s24
1122Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:44.645+1.161s24
1214Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:44.683+1.199s25
1323Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:44.737+1.253s25
1443Franco ColapintoWilliams Mercedes1:44.749+1.265s23
1577Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:44.785+1.301s24
163Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:45.056+1.572s26
174Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:45.156+1.672s25
1810Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:45.391+1.907s22
1931Esteban OconAlpine Renault1:45.810+2.326s24
2024Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:45.947+2.463s25
Free Practice 3 Classification

FP3 was held on 14 September 2024, at 12:30 am – 1:30 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarTimeGapLaps
163George RussellMercedes1:42.51415
216Charles LeclercFerrari1:42.527+0.013s16
34Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:42.737+0.223s14
481Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:42.749+0.235s13
51Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:42.862+0.348s15
655Carlos SainzFerrari1:42.968+0.454s16
711Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:43.024+0.510s15
823Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:43.194+0.680s13
943Franco ColapintoWilliams Mercedes1:43.238+0.724s14
1044Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:43.301+0.787s13
1114Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:43.474+0.960s15
1222Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:43.503+0.989s16
1318Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:43.571+1.057s18
143Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:43.870+1.356s17
1510Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:43.876+1.362s14
1627Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:44.164+1.650s12
1777Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:44.187+1.673s17
1824Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:44.869+2.355s19
1931Esteban OconAlpine Renault1
2050Oliver BearmanHaas Ferrari2

Qualifying

Charles Leclerc secured a sensational pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Lando Norris suffered a significant setback in his title challenge after being eliminated in Q1. Norris set to start Sunday’s race in 17th place, after appearing to be hampered by yellow flags. The only silver lining was that championship leader Max Verstappen could only manage sixth place, as he was out-qualified by Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez for the first time in 16 months, in a dramatic qualifying session.

At the front, Oscar Piastri was 0.321s behind Leclerc in second place, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in third. Perez would start fourth, ahead of George Russell and Verstappen, with Lewis Hamilton in seventh after a challenging Saturday for the seven-time world champion. Franco Colapinto reached Q3 in only his second-ever F1 qualifying, placing behind Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, while Williams team-mate Alex Albon took 10th. Albon was unable to complete a final lap after a fan was accidentally left in his car as he exited the garage.

Full Qualifying Report

Qualifying Classification

Qualifying was held on 14 September 2024, at 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarQ1Q2Q3Laps
116Charles LeclercFerrari1:42.7751:42.0561:41.36520
281Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:43.0331:42.5981:41.68619
355Carlos SainzFerrari1:43.3571:42.5031:41.80523
411Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:43.2131:42.2631:41.81315
563George RussellMercedes1:43.1391:42.3291:41.87420
61Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:43.0971:42.0421:42.02320
744Lewis Hamilton1Mercedes1:43.0891:42.7651:42.28922
814Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:43.4721:42.4261:42.36919
943Franco ColapintoWilliams Mercedes1:43.1381:42.4731:42.53020
1023Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:42.8991:42.8401:42.85919
1150Oliver BearmanHaas Ferrari1:43.4711:42.96814
1222Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:43.3371:43.03516
1310Pierre Gasly2Alpine Renault1:43.0881:43.17915
1427Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:43.1011:43.19114
1518Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:43.3701:43.40414
163Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:43.5479
174Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:43.6097
1877Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:43.6187
1924Zhou Guanyu3Kick Sauber Ferrari1:44.24610
2031Esteban Ocon4Alpine Renault1:44.5048
1Lewis Hamilton would start from the pitlane after exceeding power unit components in his car.
2Pierre Gasly would be required to start from the back of the grid after being disqualified from qualifying due to a fuel flow breach
3Zhou Guanyu would be required to start from the back of the grid for use of multiple additional power unit elements.
4Esteban Ocon would start from the pitlane after exceeding power unit components in his car.
2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Starting Grid

The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying session.

PosNoDriverCar
116Charles LeclercFerrari
281Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes
355Carlos SainzFerrari
411Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT
563George RussellMercedes
61Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT
714Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes
843Franco ColapintoWilliams Mercedes
923Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes
1050Oliver BearmanHaas Ferrari
1122Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT
1227Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari
1318Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes
143Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT
154Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes
1677Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari
1724Zhou Guanyu1Kick Sauber Ferrari
1810Pierre Gasly2Alpine Renault
PL44Lewis Hamilton3Mercedes
PL31Esteban Ocon4Alpine Renault
1Zhou Guanyu was sent to the back of the Azerbaijan GP grid for exceeding power unit components in his car.
2Pierre Gasly was disqualified from qualifying after he “exceeded the instantaneous fuel mass flow”.
3Lewis Hamilton started from the pitlane after exceeding power unit components in his car.
4Esteban Ocon started from the pitlane after exceeding power unit components in his car.

What happened in the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

After three practice sessions filled with incidents and drama, the excitement continued in qualifying when Norris suffered a surprising Q1 exit, missing the chance to fight for pole position, which ultimately went to Leclerc, as the Ferrari driver extended his impressive run in Baku.

A couple of penalties moved Norris from P17 to P15, with 13th-placed Gasly disqualified from the session due to a fuel flow breach and seventh-placed Hamilton dropping to the back after taking new power unit components—a choice also made by Ocon and Zhou.

When teams removed the tyre blankets on the grid, it was revealed that most drivers would start on Pirelli’s yellow-marked medium compound, while Albon, Ricciardo, Norris, Zhou, Gasly, and Ocon opted for the white-marked hard tyres.

As the lights went out, pole-sitter Leclerc made a clean getaway, maintaining his advantage over Piastri into Turn 1. In contrast, both Red Bulls made moves – Perez overtaking Sainz and Verstappen passing Russell under braking into Turn 2.

Further back, Alonso, Colapinto, Albon, and Bearman held their positions at the lower end of the top 10, as Norris wasted no time, climbing to 12th by the end of the first lap, overtaking several rivals and benefitting from an early puncture for Stroll.

Norris gained another place at the start of Lap 3, passing Tsunoda for P11 into Turn 2, with the Japanese driver also losing out to Hulkenberg, teammate Ricciardo, and fast starters Gasly and Hamilton shortly afterwards – indicating he was struggling with some kind of issue.

A possible explanation came when replay footage showed Stroll attempting a move on Tsunoda into Turn 4, tagging the right-rear of the RB, and picking up a puncture. “He closed the door on me,” the Canadian reported over the radio, as he limped back to the pits.

At the front, despite Leclerc’s strong start, Piastri was able to stay within the crucial one-second Drag Reduction System (DRS) window when the overtaking aid was activated, putting pressure on Leclerc down the long main straight.

“How are the tyres?” Norris was asked at this point, as he closed in on 10th-placed Bearman. “Yeah, they feel alright at the moment,” responded the Briton, who was aiming to go longer than the medium-tyre runners ahead of him.

On Lap 8, Norris moved into the points-paying positions with a clean pass on Bearman into the braking zone at Turn 1, and the Haas stand-in – who had just narrowly avoided the barriers at Turn 15 – soon dropped back towards teammate Hulkenberg.

After a brief spell defending his position, Leclerc increased his pace, breaking the DRS window to Piastri and building a lead of around 2.5 seconds by the time the race hit double digits on the lap counter – McLaren instructing Piastri to switch to “Plan B.”

Meanwhile, there was drama elsewhere, with sixth-placed Russell reporting that “I think a plastic bag just went into the left-hand airbox,” and fifth-placed Verstappen complaining, “I have zero bite in the car.” Hulkenberg also made a move on Bearman for 10th place.

With speculation about whether some drivers might opt for a two-stop strategy, Colapinto was the first in the top 10 to pit for fresh tyres, switching from mediums to hards. This prompted Alonso to pit on the following lap to protect against the undercut.

Despite their concerns about balance and debris, Russell and Verstappen followed suit on Lap 13, with Perez pitting a lap later. However, Leclerc, Piastri, Sainz, Albon, and Norris stayed out – the latter two still running on their starting set of hard tyres.

Perez set some blistering lap times on his fresh tyres, quickly catching Norris, who was then asked by the McLaren pit wall if he could hold up the Red Bull driver in the middle sector. This played into teammate Piastri’s hands, who rejoined the track just ahead of Perez after his own pit stop.

Next to pit was race leader Leclerc on Lap 17, followed by Sainz a lap later, while Tsunoda retired due to apparent damage. Meanwhile, Piastri and Perez both passed Albon, who, like Norris, was still extending his first stint, moving them back into P2 and P3, respectively.

Leclerc’s lead shrank after those stops, with Piastri closing into the DRS window on the start/finish straight. At the start of Lap 20, Piastri made a brilliant dive up the inside of the Ferrari into Turn 1, while Perez watched closely, ready to take advantage.

“They are pushing like crazy, or they have more grip than us,” said Leclerc, finding himself sandwiched between McLaren and Red Bull, while Norris reported, “I’m struggling a little bit” as he and Albon neared the halfway mark on their original hard tyres.

The TV cameras then cut to another McLaren-Ferrari battle as Sainz overtook Norris for P5 into Turn 1 on Lap 23, before setting his sights on fourth-placed Albon and completing a similar move on the Williams a lap later.

After Sainz’s pass, Norris was just about keeping Verstappen at bay, with Verstappen reporting, “my brakes are not working,” following a close call at Turn 15, while Russell held P8 ahead of Alonso and Colapinto.

Haas drivers Hulkenberg and Bearman were running just outside the points in P11 and P13 respectively, split by Gasly, while Hamilton sat 14th, followed by Ricciardo, Zhou, Ocon, and Bottas. The recovering Stroll brought up the rear after Tsunoda’s retirement.

As the leaders began Lap 29, Leclerc closed in on Piastri and had a brief opportunity to overtake into Turn 1, but the McLaren driver defended robustly, maintaining his lead.

Meanwhile, Perez began to drop back slightly in third, with Sainz a distant fourth. Albon and Norris continued to hold up Verstappen, who in turn had Russell close behind – with speculation growing over when the Williams and McLaren drivers would finally pit for fresh tyres.

Albon answered half of that question when he switched from hards to mediums on Lap 32, at the same time as Russell made a DRS-assisted pass on Verstappen into Turn 1. Norris received a radio message that “this is our time.”

A lap later, Leclerc attempted another move on Piastri into Turn 1. A compromised exit forced the race leader into a defensive position on the run to Turn 2, allowing Perez to close back in, making it a three-way fight once more.

Verstappen and Russell then went wheel-to-wheel for the second time in a few laps, with Russell doing enough to keep P6 ahead of the reigning world champion, who took to the radio to explain how difficult it was to drive his Red Bull.

“Come on! Keep it up,” was the message to Leclerc with about 15 laps remaining, after he controlled a wild slide coming out of Turn 16. Hulkenberg passed Colapinto for ninth, and Albon – now on fresher medium tyres – easily overtook his teammate.

Norris finally pitted for new tyres on Lap 38, dropping him to seventh behind Russell and Verstappen, while Albon continued his charge, sparking further changes in the top 10 by passing Hulkenberg into Turn 1.

“Piastri’s starting to struggle,” said Leclerc over the radio as the race neared its final stages. He made another attempt to pass into Turn 1 on Lap 41, but the leader defended his position once again.

Unaware of what was to come, Red Bull informed Perez that “it’s going to get messy” in the final few laps due to traffic ahead. The scrap between the top three – and the time lost – allowed Sainz in the other Ferrari to catch up and join the fight.

Leclerc’s bid to overtake Piastri faltered when he reported that he had “no rear tyres at all” on Lap 48, enabling Piastri to pull away by a few seconds. Leclerc then came under pressure from Perez and teammate Sainz.

After Stroll retired his Aston Martin due to technical issues, Norris passed championship rival Verstappen into Turn 1 with a few laps remaining. Chaos ensued as Leclerc, Perez, and Sainz battled for position.

Attempting to pass Leclerc around the outside at Turn 1, Perez ran wide and found himself battling Sainz at Turn 2. The Red Bull and Ferrari went side-by-side towards Turn 3, but neither made it, as their paths converged, sending both cars violently into the wall, scattering debris across the track and forcing Race Control to end the race under a Virtual Safety Car.

Perez was furious after the incident, questioning if his rival was “crazy,” while Sainz expressed his own frustration over the radio. Both drivers will visit the stewards, with a post-race investigation confirmed.

Piastri had a chance to relax as he saw out the final lap under caution, sealing victory over Leclerc. Russell benefitted from the clash between Perez and Sainz to claim the final spot on the podium, giving Mercedes something to celebrate.

Norris gained more points over Verstappen as the title contenders finished P4 and P5 respectively, with Norris also claiming the fastest lap bonus. Alonso followed in sixth, with Williams pair Albon and Colapinto in seventh and eighth.

Hamilton was ninth, with final points scorer Bearman making a late, unseen pass on Hulkenberg. Gasly, Ricciardo, and Zhou were the final drivers to finish on the lead lap, while Ocon and Bottas completed the field.

Perez and Sainz climbed out of their cars, pondering what could have been, as the stewards’ investigation loomed. Stroll and Tsunoda – victims of their own early incidents – joined them in retirement.

2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix race results

The 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Race was held on 15 September 2024 at 3:00 pm local time.

PosNoDriverCarLapsTime/retiredPts
181Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes511:32:58.00725
216Charles LeclercFerrari51+10.910s18
363George RussellMercedes51+31.328s15
44Lando Norris1McLaren Mercedes51+36.143s13
51Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT51+77.098s10
614Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes51+85.468s8
723Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes51+87.396s6
843Franco ColapintoWilliams Mercedes51+89.541s4
944Lewis HamiltonMercedes51+92.401s2
1050Oliver BearmanHaas Ferrari51+93.127s1
1127Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari51+93.465s0
1210Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault51+117.189s0
133Daniel RicciardoRB-Honda RBPT51+146.907s0
1424Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari51+148.841s0
1531Esteban OconAlpine Renault50+1 lap0
1677Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari50+1 lap0
1711Sergio PérezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT49DNF0
1855Carlos SainzFerrari49DNF0
1918Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes45DNF0
NC22Yuki TsunodaRB-Honda RBPT14DNF0
1Fastest lap: Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:45.255 (lap 42)

2024 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings for Drivers’ and Teams after the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

2024 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings

PosDriverNationalityCarPTS
1Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT313
2Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren Mercedes254
3Charles LeclercMONFerrari235
4Oscar PiastriAUSMcLaren Mercedes222
5Carlos SainzESPFerrari184
6Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes166
7George RussellGBRMercedes143
8Sergio PérezMEXRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT143
9Fernando AlonsoESPAston Martin Mercedes58
10Lance StrollCANAston Martin Mercedes24
11Nico HulkenbergGERHaas Ferrari22
12Yuki TsunodaJPNRB-Honda RBPT22
13Alexander AlbonTHAWilliams Mercedes12
14Daniel RicciardoAUSRB-Honda RBPT12
15Pierre GaslyFRAAlpine Renault8
16Oliver BearmanGBRFerrari / Haas Ferrari7
17Kevin MagnussenDENHaas Ferrari6
18Esteban OconFRAAlpine Renault5
19Franco ColapintoARGWilliams Mercedes4
20Zhou GuanyuCHNKick Sauber Ferrari0
21Logan SargeantUSAWilliams Mercedes0
22Valtteri BottasFINKick Sauber Ferrari0

2024 Post-Race F1 Constructors’ Championship Standings

PosTeamPTS
1McLaren Mercedes476
2Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT456
3Ferrari425
4Mercedes309
5Aston Martin Mercedes82
6RB-Honda RBPT34
7Haas Ferrari29
8Williams Mercedes16
9Alpine Renault13
10Kick Sauber Ferrari0

Sources:

  1. On track where the wind blows. Pirelli.com
  2. Azerbaijan GP schedule: UK time, when to watch Baku F1 weekend live on Sky Sports as 2024 season continues. Skysports.com
  3. Azerbaijan GP: Max Verstappen tops Practice One as Charles Leclerc crashes amid red flag chaos in Baku. Skysports.com
  4. Azerbaijan GP: George Russell tops Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris in Practice Three to set up mega qualifying. Skysports.com
  5. Azerbaijan GP: Charles Leclerc takes Baku pole as Lando Norris suffers shock early exit to hurt F1 title bid. Skysports.com

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About The Author

Staff Writer

Ben Bush
Ben

Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.

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