Overview

• Max Verstappen converted pole into a comfortable Azerbaijan GP victory, with George Russell second and Carlos Sainz third for his first Williams top-three.
• Sainz started P2 after standout qualifying, executed a clean race, and described the finish as the best podium of his career.
• A 2.6-second Williams stop on lap 28 kept Sainz in contention, but Russell jumped him with a later stop on lap 40 before Sainz held off late pressure from Kimi Antonelli.
• Oscar Piastri stalled at the start and crashed at turn 6 to trigger a safety car, a DNF that shaped strategy and the championship picture.
• Lando Norris lost time with a 4.1-second pit stop and finished seventh, limiting gains on Piastri despite the leader’s non-score.