00:00Three, four, five red lights in Baku and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is underway.
00:08Verstappen chops across and he got the launch that he needed off the line.
00:11Piastri is the back of the field, he's not got away at all.
00:14Oscar Piastri didn't get the launch from the middle of the pack and the championship leader is at the rear
00:18of the field.
00:19Max Verstappen held the lead, that's what he needed to do.
00:21Lando Norris is side by side with Isaac Hadjar.
00:24He continues on, but a horrible getaway for Oscar Piastri, P20 right now.
00:30Leclerc tucking in behind Norris, Hamilton trying to make progress as well.
00:33The top four are as they were.
00:34That's late on the brakes from George Russell to get back past Yuki Tsunoda,
00:38who jumped him in the opening corners of the Grand Prix.
00:41Yeah, Piastri just went absolutely nowhere as the lights went out.
00:44It was like he just had an anti-stool, but I didn't even see the car move at all from
00:48ninth on the grid.
00:49He is plum last and Norris has held position.
00:52In fact, no, he's lost one to Hadjar as well.
00:54So not a good start for either McLaren, but Norris in eighth still at least.
00:57That is a massive...
00:58He's in the wall, he's out of the race!
01:00Oscar Piastri into the barriers and his Grand Prix ends on the opening lap!
01:07Piastri moves before the lights.
01:09Wow, he does by a long way.
01:10Then he stops and then it looks like he has anti-stool as he goes.
01:14And they were being given a five second time penalty for jumping the start.
01:17Yeah, popping. They react to the Astri, sorry.
01:22So he is 20th at this point.
01:24Looks to the outside, it's just slippery out there!
01:27Oh no!
01:28Oscar, are you okay?
01:30Yeah.
01:31So Ocon is one of the drivers that pitted.
01:33There's Ocon.
01:33Yeah.
01:34And there's the collision.
01:35They both continued.
01:36Ocon came into the pits.
01:38Yeah, that's a bit of a classic Baku first lap incident, that.
01:42And here we go!
01:43Great launch.
01:45And he takes us back.
01:46He checks the mirrors and signs isn't close enough to shape for the move.
01:49But there are loads further back.
01:50The two Mercedes side by side.
01:52Are they going to make it through that first turn?
01:54And that was punchy stuff from Kimi Antonelli, who takes P4.
01:59Thought Russell was going to have that round the outside.
02:01He's shaped for it, but didn't fancy trying to chance his arm on the exit as the barrier pinches in.
02:07And Antonelli holds him back.
02:08And once again, Tsunoda is able to get past Russell on the opening tour.
02:14Oh, wakey, wakey, Lando.
02:16Wakey, wakey.
02:17Look at that gap.
02:18It's a horrible restart from Norris.
02:20Where's he looking?
02:20What's he thinking?
02:21Through goes Charles Leclerc.
02:22That's nicely judged by Leclerc.
02:24That's how he took the position.
02:27Let's have a look visor cam with Lando Norris.
02:30Is there a problem there?
02:31Is Hajar going slowly just ahead?
02:33He's backed off.
02:34Has he got an issue here with his car?
02:35He reported problems on the laps to the grid.
02:38He said the throttle was not responding as he expected.
02:41Charles Leclerc has moved up to seventh place.
02:43Hajar, does he have the full power?
02:45Lando Norris trying to take that place away as well.
02:48And Hajar tumbling down now because Norris has gone by.
02:51Hajar sticks a wheel in.
02:52Nothing he can do.
02:54It was tight.
02:55But Norris makes the move that he needed to.
02:59Again George Russell looking for the move.
03:01He's not the only one.
03:02Lando Norris trying to reclaim the place.
03:04Lewis Hamilton diving to the inside and getting past Isaac Hajar.
03:08Lando Norris trying to get past the other Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.
03:11Up to ninth goes Hamilton.
03:14Well Russell another driver who is targeting the podium.
03:17Look at this.
03:18It's hard tires to hard tires.
03:20So it's important because both of these drivers want to go long.
03:22And Russell's close here for a move at three.
03:23So that's the aim.
03:25Tsunoda goes early.
03:26Picks his inside line.
03:28The DRS takes Russell past.
03:30And he reclaims fifth place again.
03:34Stuck with his thoughts.
03:36Watching on with the rest of us.
03:38His first retirement of the season.
03:40There are 25 for a win in Formula One.
03:42Alex Albin's going to make contact.
03:44And he does.
03:46Albin into the back of Colopinto.
03:48The yellow flag out.
03:49And Colopinto crucially for so many people's races.
03:53Kept it going.
03:55Albin with the qualifying error yesterday.
03:58Trying to make the move.
04:00And no way by.
04:01No.
04:01Never on that one.
04:02And you know who would have had a great view of it?
04:04Oscar Piastri just sitting behind that barrier over there.
04:07Ten second penalty for Alex Albin.
04:10One chasing podium number one in Formula One.
04:13One chasing podium number two.
04:15Antonelli in the slipstream.
04:17Gaining all the time.
04:18This is the best momentum that he's got.
04:20And Antonelli makes the move.
04:21He's roared by.
04:22Oh my word.
04:24What series is Antonelli in?
04:27The driver second in the World Championship with a pit stop.
04:30He can maximize the chance with his rival out.
04:33Big moment for McLaren now.
04:34More importantly.
04:35Oh it's not a good stop either.
04:36It's a horrible stop.
04:37Once again Lando Norris having a slow stop at a crucial moment.
04:414.1 seconds was not what they needed.
04:44I was going to say more importantly.
04:45Where's he going to come out compared to these two.
04:47Who sweep straight past him.
04:48So not going to pass Tsunoda with that.
04:50And he's not going to pass Lawson.
04:52Lawson or Leclerc.
04:55Stops pretty well on his marks.
04:57And again just slow on that right front.
05:01Well can Red Bull punish that error with a clean stop.
05:04That launches Yuki out ahead.
05:08These two drivers that swap seats.
05:10For the third race of the year.
05:12Are close now heading to turn number three.
05:15It's Yuki Tsunoda versus Liam Lawson.
05:17Liam Lawson with the momentum.
05:19With the DRS.
05:20And with fifth position as it stands.
05:22He's jumped.
05:23The man who replaced him at Red Bull.
05:27This is how George Russell and Mercedes.
05:30With a great stint from Russell.
05:32Who's on for his seventh podium of the season.
05:34They needed the tidy stop.
05:36Back into the race.
05:37But that was a change of position.
05:39That was second place for Russell.
05:41Ahead of Carlos Sainz.
05:44Great chance now.
05:45For Lando Norris.
05:46This is the best opportunity he's had since he was passed by Charles Leclerc.
05:49At that restart.
05:50He's waited a while for this move.
05:52And the move is on.
05:53Charles Leclerc has fallen out of DRS range.
05:55And Lando Norris in the McLaren.
05:57Is moving by.
05:59The sparks flying.
06:00And he's finally reclaimed the place.
06:02P7.
06:04Tsunoda now checking his mirrors.
06:06Rather than looking ahead.
06:07Lando Norris has one clear opportunity left.
06:10Really.
06:10Unless it's a drag race to the line.
06:12And it's right here.
06:13We're heading to turn number three.
06:15But still Tsunoda has that DRS.
06:17So has Norris got anything?
06:18Has he got extra energy?
06:20Has he got the momentum?
06:21The answer is no.
06:22And Lando Norris is stuck in seventh.
06:26Max Verstappen with another masterclass.
06:29The Dutch driver will look up.
06:32And see the checkered flag first.
06:34And weaving across the line.
06:36To celebrate victory.
06:38Is Max Verstappen.
06:40Max Verstappen wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
06:43And he punches the air with delight.
06:45That's two in a row for Red Bull.
06:47A superb performance.
06:49And the same applies to George Russell.
06:51Who made the key moves.
06:53And he is second across the line.
06:55For his seventh podium of the season.
06:58But for the first time with Williams.
07:00Carlos Sainz will stand on the podium.
07:03It's Williams' first podium since 2021.
07:07Kimi Antonelli is in fourth.
07:08Liam Lawson will get his best ever Formula One result in fifth.
07:13Yuki Tsunoda's best of the season is P6.
07:15Lando Norris takes six points away from his nearest rival Oscar Piastri.
07:21Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Isaac Hadjar complete the top ten.
07:26Let's go!
07:27Let's go!
07:28Let's go!
07:28Best podium in my career guys.
07:29You cannot imagine how this plays.
07:31Thank you so much.
07:33I just wanted to say.
07:34This is my first smooth operation in Williams.
07:39And not the last.
07:40And not the last.
07:41Max Verstappen a Red Bull resurgent.
07:44Rule nothing out in Formula One 2025.
07:47He controlled things for the win.
07:49A fine, fine second place for George Russell.
07:52And a podium to revel in for Carlos Sainz.
07:55The World Championship leader Oscar Piastri didn't finish.
07:58But he still leads by 25 points.
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