Overview

• Max Verstappen converted pole into a lights-to-flag victory, with George Russell second and Carlos Sainz taking a first Williams podium of the season in third.
• Oscar Piastri jumped the start, dropped to the back and hit the barriers on the opening lap; stewards issued a five-second penalty that will not carry over to Singapore.
• Lando Norris finished seventh after a slow pit stop and trimmed Piastri’s drivers’ championship lead to 25 points.
• McLaren failed to seal the constructors’ championship in Baku and must wait for a later round to clinch it.
• A record six red flags disrupted qualifying, and the FIA cleared McLaren’s overnight survival-cell swap for Piastri with no sporting penalty.