Overview

• Max Verstappen led all 51 laps to win in Baku, with George Russell second and Carlos Sainz third in Williams' first podium since 2017.
• Oscar Piastri retired on the opening lap after hitting the wall, denting McLaren's weekend and narrowing the drivers' standings gap.
• Franco Colapinto started 16th after a Q1 crash as Alpine fitted a spare chassis and gearbox within parc fermé, avoiding a grid penalty.
• After rising to 13th, Colapinto was hit by Alex Albon as he exited his first stop around lap 18; stewards gave Albon a 10‑second penalty and super‑license points.
• Damage and lack of pace left Colapinto 19th behind teammate Pierre Gasly, capping a volatile weekend marked by a record six red flags in qualifying.