Leclerc Leads, Piastri Pounces: How Ferrari’s Baku Dream Ended in Heartbreak

Charles Leclerc came heartbreakingly close to securing victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but a combination of strategy, tyre wear, and a resilient Oscar Piastri left the Ferrari driver settling for second place. Leclerc started the race from pole position, controlling the early stages and building a solid lead. However, his hopes for victory unravelled after the pit stop, after which McLaren’s Piastri mounted an aggressive charge to snatch the lead.

Leclerc had initially established a comfortable six-second gap on Piastri and Sergio Perez of Red Bull. But after their sole pit stops, Piastri closed the gap with remarkable pace and passed Leclerc at Turn 1 on lap 20. Despite Leclerc’s efforts to reclaim the lead, Piastri held firm, with Ferrari’s tyre struggles becoming apparent toward the end of the race.

Reflecting on the race, Leclerc admitted that he may have missed a crucial opportunity to defend his position after the pit stop: “I think we lost the race when I didn’t quite defend as well as I should have at the end of the straight,” Leclerc said. “It was a mistake, but I’ll learn from it.”

While Leclerc hounded Piastri for nearly 30 laps, close to snatching the lead back, his Ferrari’s tyre degradation began to take its toll. “Towards the end, I really thought I would put it in the wall,” he confessed, as his rear tyres gave way under pressure. The inability to maintain pace also left him vulnerable to Perez, who attempted a late overtake but crashed out with Carlos Sainz in a dramatic incident during the penultimate lap.

Piastri’s drive saw him claim his second career win, while George Russell of Mercedes capitalized on the chaos to join the podium. Leclerc, despite his disappointment, managed to secure P2—far from the win he had hoped for, but still a strong result given the circumstances.

Leclerc credited McLaren and Piastri for their “exceptional” performance but was left to wonder what might have been had he managed his tyres better or defended more aggressively. Fourth time running on pole at Baku but still no cigar. Despite the frustration, his performance at Baku reinforced Ferrari’s competitiveness on street circuits, even if victory slipped through their fingers.

How things change. With the exception of Charles Leclerc’s incredible win in Monaco we had been so used to Verstappen mostly getting his own way in race after race. Now his Red Bull bollide is giving him big challenges, lacking enough pace. And out of the blue McLaren with Norris and Piastri are now the team with the fastest race car. And when Norris has a bad qualifying session as in Baku, they have another ace in Piastri.

Can Ferrari catch up to McLaren? Maybe there’s a real chance. Monaco was obviously not a flash in the pan. Charles had set-backs immediately after but just claimed a great win in Monza. And he could have won this latest race in Baku. Ferrari were fast on the corners, McLaren were fast on the straights. Let the engineers continue to do battle.

Can’t wait for the next Grand Prix in Singapore. Charles will want his revenge!