Max Verstappen claimed victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, crossing the line more than 13 seconds clear of George Russell. The Red Bull driver was followed home by Russell in second, while Carlos Sainz completed the podium for Williams, securing his first top-three finish for the team.
The race proved a difficult one for McLaren. Oscar Piastri crashed out on the opening lap, while Lando Norris could manage only seventh place after struggling to pass Yuki Tsunoda. The result leaves Piastri on 324 points in the drivers' standings, with Norris second on 299 and Verstappen closing to 255.
"This weekend has been incredible for us," said Verstappen. "For us to win here again is just fantastic and I think the car was working really well ... I'm incredibly happy with this performance." Russell, who has been unwell this weekend, added: "We're really happy to be back on the podium. I'm looking forward to a bit of rest now."
Sainz, celebrating wildly with the Williams mechanics, told Sky Sports: "Honestly, I cannot describe how happy I am, how good this feels. We've been fighting hard all year and we've proved when everything comes together we can do some amazing things."
Kimi Antonelli finished fourth, with Liam Lawson fifth and Tsunoda sixth. Lewis Hamilton and the two Ferraris rounded out the top ten behind Norris, with Isack Hadjar taking the final point.
