Piastri Defies McLaren in Baku: A Complete Victory

by Walter Izzo

The shocking backstory behind Piastri’s win in Baku: the Australian allegedly disobeyed team orders to manage his tires, banking on Ferrari’s performance drop.

A complete victory. Yesterday’s GP in Baku gave us yet another spectacular race in 2024, with a fierce battle for victory and the podium going down to the wire. The Azerbaijan weekend not only lived up to its high expectations, as it always does on this unpredictable circuit, but also delivered a show we had rarely seen before: a fight for victory between three drivers from different teams from start to finish, and a podium uncertain right until the end, especially with Sainz rejoining the fight in the closing stages But the ultimate victor in this incredible puzzle was McLaren, with Oscar Piastri taking his second win of the season.

Oscar Piastri Wins in Baku by Defying Team Orders: A Triumph of Strength for the Young Australian

The stunning overtake by McLaren’s Australian driver on Charles Leclerc was undoubtedly the defining moment of the Azerbaijan GP. However, this very maneuver has created a conundrum within the Papaya team. Following the controversial (and still not fully understood) “Papaya Rules” seen at Monza, the Woking team had instructed Oscar to be gentle on the tires at the start of the stint and not to attack or stay too close to Leclerc’s Ferrari. Piastri, however, showcasing the top-tier talent he has become, outright disobeyed those orders. Not only did he overtake Charles, but he also pushed hard until the end of the race. A victory almost reminiscent of “Super Max” —a champion’s victory.

Piastri’s win in Baku was also secured by McLaren’s incredible race pace on the hard tires, which Ferrari’s Leclerc, despite an excellent performance, simply couldn’t match. Ferrari, in full control of the race until Leclerc’s pit stop on medium tires, didn’t show enough pace on the harder compound, particularly struggling with traction at the critical moment. Not to mention McLaren’s genius innovation with flexible front and rear wings, which gave the orange car a clear edge in braking and cornering (and beyond).

Piastri’s Words in Baku

But as mentioned, the real difference yesterday was made by the driver, Oscar Piastri. In his second season in Formula 1, the Australian already looks like a future title contender and is likely to be McLaren’s lead driver next season. His bold move at Monza to overtake Norris at the “Roggia” and yesterday’s incredible defense against Charles Leclerc for almost 30 laps only enhance the reputation of this Alpine academy graduate. Alpine, in fact, was supposed to be the team that would bring him to Formula 1, but they lost their gem to McLaren, who, in turn, used him to replace the declining Daniel Ricciardo. A masterstroke from Stella and Brown.

Victory for McLaren and Oscar Piastri in Baku: The Papaya Now Lead the Constructors’ Standings

Piastri’s post-race comments in Baku were certainly sweeter than those after Monza two weeks ago, a race that had left the entire McLaren team with a bitter taste: “If I hadn’t tried the overtake on Charles, I wouldn’t be here holding the winner’s trophy. Already in the first stint, I saw Charles pulling away, so I ignored what my engineer told me because if Ferrari had managed to finish the race, I would have been left behind. The idea of finishing second wasn’t exciting. But I knew I had only one opportunity; I wouldn’t get a second chance, and it was a high-risk move. I was surprised I managed to make the corner.”

Then he commented on the start: “At the start, I tried to get ahead, but once I dropped out of the DRS zone, I didn’t have the pace. After the stop, we got much closer, and it seemed like I had more grip. I knew I had to attack because if I didn’t do it at the beginning of the stint, I wouldn’t have another chance to pass Charles. I took a risk, but I achieved my goal. I had to manage a lot and managed to keep him out of DRS for two laps, but it was difficult to take risks here in Baku. It was tough, but it’s one of the best races of my career“.

Finally, he reflected on his journey so far in F1: “Considering that when I joined McLaren, we were far behind where we are now, leading the championship, we have to recognize the great work of the team and what we’ve achieved since I arrived. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did today without improving. It’s a team victory, and I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Photo: McLaren, Oscar Piastri X

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