Momentum and management: Piastri’s Baku bid under the spotlight
Oscar Piastri heads to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a chance to equal an iconic McLaren milestone: Ayrton Senna’s eight-win benchmark in a single season for the team. The Australian, the defending Baku race winner and current championship leader, has seven victories from the first 16 rounds and holds a 31-point advantage over team-mate Lando Norris with eight races remaining.
Victory in Baku would see Piastri join Senna (1988) at eight wins in a McLaren season — a tally later matched by Mika Hakkinen in 1998 — albeit across a longer calendar this time. A triumph would also make him only the second driver to take multiple Azerbaijan GP wins, alongside Sergio Perez (2021, 2023).
His pursuit of history comes amid scrutiny of McLaren’s team orders deployed at Monza. Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes the call — controversial among fans — could weigh on Piastri, adding an extra layer of pressure as the title race intensifies. Balancing intra-team strategy with a record chase will be central to McLaren’s approach on Baku’s high-speed streets.
What’s at stake in Baku
- Equal Senna’s all-time McLaren season wins record (8).
- Extend a 31-point championship lead over Norris.
- Defend 2024 Baku race-winning form.
- Navigate the aftershocks of recent team orders discourse.
