The thrilling finale of the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix had George Russell scratching his head over the FIA’s decisions following a late-race collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez, which surprisingly did not lead to the activation of the safety car.
In his post-race chat after securing third place, the British driver shared:
“We didn’t start well, but once on the hard tyre, I felt quick, passed Max, and ended up on the podium, which is a nice bonus. I was surprised the Safety Car didn’t come out sooner; those cars could have been all over the track. I’m just relieved everyone is alright.”
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The incident involving Sainz and Perez ultimately resulted in a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) to finish the race.
The Azerbaijan GP was action-packed from the start. Charles Leclerc, starting from pole, held onto the lead while Oscar Piastri was close behind by lap two.
By lap 16, Yuki Tsunoda faced an unfortunate retirement due to sidepod damage after colliding with Lance Stroll. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen struggled with car issues, famously lamenting, “I have zero bite on the car,” and later stating, “The rear’s jumping and losing contact.”
In the end, Oscar Piastri’s victory marked a significant achievement not only for him but also for McLaren, who has now taken first place in the Constructors’ Standings, surpassing Red Bull.
2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Results
1. Oscar Piastri
2. Charles Leclerc
3. George Russell
4. Lando Norris
5. Max Verstappen
6. Fernando Alonso
7. Alex Albon
8. Franco Colapinto
9. Lewis Hamilton
10. Ollie Bearman
11. Nico Hulkenberg
12. Pierre Gasly
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Zhou Guanyu
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Valtteri Bottas
17. Carlos Sainz – DNF
18. Sergio Perez – DNF
19. Lance Stroll – DNF
20. Yuki Tsunoda – DNF
2024 Constructors’ Standings
1. McLaren – 476 points
2. Red Bull Racing – 456 points
3. Ferrari – 425 points
4. Mercedes – 309 points
5. Aston Martin – 82 points
6. VCARB – 34 points
7. Haas – 29 points
8. Williams – 16 points
9. Alpine – 13 points
10. Sauber – 10 points
2024 Drivers’ Standings
1. Max Verstappen – 313 points
2. Lando Norris – 254 points
3. Charles Leclerc – 235 points
4. Oscar Piastri – 222 points
5. Carlos Sainz – 184 points
6. Lewis Hamilton – 166 points
7. George Russell – 143 points
8. Sergio Perez – 143 points
9. Fernando Alonso – 58 points
10. Lance Stroll – 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg – 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda – 22 points
13. Alex Albon – 12 points
14. Daniel Ricciardo – 12 points
15. Pierre Gasly – 8 points
16. Oliver Bearman – 7 points
17. Kevin Magnussen – 6 points
18. Esteban Ocon – 5 points
19. Franco Colapinto – 4 points
20. Zhou Guanyu – 0 points
21. Logan Sargeant – 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas – 0 points