Race Highlights | 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

3, 4, 5 red lights in Baku. And the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is underway for Stappen chops across and he got the launch that he needed off the line. Piastri is the back of the field. He's not got away at all. Oskar Piastri didn't get the launch from the middle of the pack and the championship leader is at the rear of the field. Max Verstappen held the lead.

That's what he needed to do. Lando Norris is side by side with Isaac Hadja. He continues on, but a horrible getaway for Oscar Piastri. P20 right now. Leclerc tucking in behind Norris. Hamilton trying to make progress as well. The top four are as they were. That's late on the brakes from George Russell to get back past Yuki Tsunoda who jumped him in the opening corners of the Grand Prix. Yeah, Piastri just went absolutely nowhere as the lights went out. It was like he just had an anti-stall, but I didn't even see the car move at all from 9th on the grid. He is plum last and Norris has held position. In fact, no, he's lost one to Hajar as well.

So Noda could start for either McLaren, but Norris in 8th still at least. That is a massive... He's in the wall! He's out of the race! Oscar Piastri into the barriers and his Grand Prix ends on the opening lap. Piastri moves before the lights. Wow, he does by a long way. Then he stops and then it looks like he has anti-stall as he goes.

And they were being given a five second time penalty for jumping the start.

Yeah, okay. I react to Piastri, sorry.

So he is 20th at this point.

Looks to the outside3, sorry. lap incident that. And here we go, great launch and he takes us back. He checks the mirrors and signs he isn't close enough to shape for the move but there are loads further back. The two Mercedes side-by-side. Are they gonna make it through that first turn? And that was punchy stuff from Kimi Antonelli who takes P4. Thought Russell was gonna have that round the outside. He's shaped for it but didn't fancy trying to chance his arm on the exit as the barrier pinches in,

and Antonelli holds him back. And once again, Sonoda is able to get past Russell on the opening tour. Oh, wakey, wakey, Lando. Wakey, wakey. Look at that gap. It's a horrible restart from Norris. Where's he looking? What's he thinking? Through goes Charles Leclerc. That's nicely judged by Leclerc. That's how he took the position.

Let's have a look, Weiser cam with Lando Norris.

Is there a problem there?

Is Hajar going slowly just ahead? He's backed off. Is he got an issue here with his car? He reported problems on the laps to the grid. He said the throttle was not responding as he expected. Charles Leclerc has moved up to seventh place. Hajar, does he have the full power? Lando Norris trying to take that place away as well. And Hajar tumbling down now because Norris has gone by. Hajar sticks a wheel in, nothing he can do. It was tight, but Norris makes the move

that he needed to. Again, George Russell looking for the move. He's not the only one. Lando Norris trying to reclaim the place. Lewis Hamilton diving to the inside and getting past Isaac Hadjar. Lando Norris trying to get past the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Up to ninth goes Hamilton. Well, Russell, another driver who is targeting the podium. Look at this. It's hard tyres to hard tyres, so it's important because both of these drivers want to go long, and Russell's close here for a move at three. So that's the aim. Tsunoda goes early, picks his inside line.

The DRS takes Russell past and he reclaims fifth place again. Stuck with his thoughts, watching on with the rest of us. His first retirement of the season. There are 25 for a win in Formula 1. Alex Albon's going to make contact! And he does! Albon into the back of Colopinto.

The yellow flag out and Colopinto, crucially for so many people's races, kept it going. Albon with the qualifying error yesterday, trying to make the move. No way by.

No, never on that one. And you know who would have had a great view of it?

Oscar Piastri, just sitting behind that barrier over there. Ten second penalty for Alex Albon. One chasing podium number one in Formula One, one chasing podium number two, Antonelli in the slipstream, gaining all the time. This is the best momentum that he's got and Antonelli makes the move. He's roared by! Oh my word! What series is Antonelli in? The driver second in the World Championship with a pit stop that can maximise the chance with his rival out.

Big moment for McLaren now. More importantly, oh, it's not a good stop either, it's a horrible stop. Once again, Lando Norris having a slow stop at a crucial moment. 4.1 seconds was not what they needed. I was going to say more importantly, where's he going to come out compared to these two who sweep straight past him. So not going to pass Tsunoda with that and he's not going to pass Lawson or Leclerc.

Stops pretty well on his marks and again just slow on that right front. Well can Red Bull punish that error with a clean stop that launches Yuki out ahead? These two drivers that swap seats for the third race of the year are close now heading to turn number three. It's Yuki Tsunoda versus Liam Lawson. Liam Lawson with the momentum, with the DRS and with fifth position as it stands, he's

jumped the man who replaced him at Red Bull. This is how George Russell and Mercedes with a great stint from Russell, who's on for his seventh podium of the season. They needed the tidy stop and back into the race. But that was a change of position. That was second place for Russell ahead of Carlos Sainz. Great chance now for Lando Norris. This is the best opportunity he's had since he was passed by Charles Leclerc.

At that restart, he's waited a while for this move and the move is on. Charles Leclerc has fallen out of DRS range and Lando Norris in the McLaren is moving by. The spark's flying and he's finally reclaimed the place. P7. Tsunoda now checking his mirrors rather than looking ahead. Lando Norris has one clear opportunity left really, unless it's a drag race to the line,

and it's right here. We're heading to turn number three. But still Sunoda has that DRS, so has Norris got anything? Has he got extra energy? Has he got the momentum? The answer is no, and Lando Norris is stuck in seventh.

And weaving across the line to celebrate victory is Max Verstappen. Max Verstappen wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and he punches the air with delight. That's two in a row for Red Bull.

A superb performance.

And the same applies to George Russell, who made the key moves.

And he is second across the line for his seventh podium of the season. But for the first time with Williams, Carlos Sainz will stand on the podium.

It's Williams' first podium since 2021.

Kimi Antonelli is in fourth. Liam Lawson will get his best ever Formula 1 result in fifth. Yuki Tsunoda's best of the season is P6.

Lando Norris takes six points away from his nearest rival,

Oskar Piastri.

Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Isaac Hajar complete the top 10. Vamos! Vamos! Best podium in my career, guys. You cannot imagine how this feels. Thank you so much. I just wanted to say this is my first smooth operation in Wilier. And not the last. And not the last.

Max Verstappen, a Red Bull resurgent, ruled nothing out in Formula 1 2025. He controlled things for the win. Max Verstappen, a Red Bull resurgent, ruled nothing out in Formula 1 2025. He controlled things for the win. A fine, fine second place for George Russell and a podium to Revellin for Carlos Sainz.