Max Verstappen secures Azerbaijan Grand Prix win as Piastri crashes
21st September 2025Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has dominated his way to victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after McLaren’s Oscar Piastri crashed out on the first lap.
Feature image credit: Getty Images // Red Bull Content Pool
Another twist has been put into the 2025 Formula 1 world championship after Verstappen dominated the streets of Baku, Azerbaijan, to take home his second consecutive victory after the Italian Grand Prix.
The Azerbaijan GP now marks the Red Bull driver’s 67th victory and 14th grand slam after he won the race from lights-to-flag, took pole position and the fastest lap.
The safety car was brought out on lap one after Piastri locked up into turn five and nose-dived into the barrier, after the four-time world champion defended his position from Williams’ Carlos Sainz into turn one.
Piastri suffered a horrid start to the Baku race after it was revealed that the Australian jumped the start initially, prompting Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso to do the same behind him.
As he was trying to work his way forward, the Australian snatched the front-left tyre and crashed into the barrier at turn five, and retired on lap one with damage.
This left Lando Norris to fly the flag for McLaren, in a weekend where they could seal the constructors’ championship – if they outscored Ferrari by nine points.
However, the Briton could not build up enough of a points advantage to seal the title single-handedly, and the constructors’ championship will go on to at least the Singapore Grand Prix, in two weeks.
Following Verstappen’s victory, it means that the Dutchman has cut down Piastri’s lead in the driver’s championship to 69 points, with seven races remaining.
Verstappen was joined by Mercedes’ George Russell, who moved up to second place as Sainz rounded out the podium to give Williams their first podium since the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.
Read more Formula 1 here:
- FIA Race Director makes adjustment ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Who starts where with penalties applied?
- Max Verstappen claims pole in chaotic qualifying for Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Lewis Hamilton tops FP2 at Azerbaijan Grand Prix leading Ferrari 1-2
- Lando Norris fastest in lengthy red-flagged FP1 at Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Oliver Bearman will ‘take into account’ his points ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
