Oscar Piastri's victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was hailed as "world class" by his mentor and manager, Mark Webber, who believes the young Australian has truly arrived in Formula One. The 23-year-old McLaren driver secured his second race win in the championship at Baku on Sunday, overtaking Charles Leclerc and managing to hold off the Ferrari driver until a crash on the penultimate lap led to a virtual safety car finish.
"This was one of the best drives I've ever seen him pull off," Webber remarked at the Baku City Circuit paddock. "Charles around here (in Baku) is absolutely magical, so to beat him around here was a pretty big deal. It was world class to say the least." Webber added, "He's arrived, he'll keep his feet on the ground and he'll keep working hard."
Piastri's maiden win at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July was marred by a team orders controversy when Lando Norris reluctantly ceded the lead to allow his Melbourne-born teammate to cross the finish line first. Team orders were also in effect in Baku, as Norris was instructed to assist Piastri by holding up Red Bull's Sergio Perez, enabling the Australian to pit for fresh tyres and maintain his lead.
Despite the strategic maneuvers, Norris was content to play his part, and nothing could detract from Piastri's win as McLaren secured the top spot in the constructors' championship, 20 points ahead of Red Bull with seven grands prix and three sprint races remaining. Having previously climbed the podium in Italy and Belgium, Piastri now sits in fourth place in the drivers' championship, led by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, and is only 32 points behind Norris.
Piastri has come a long way since his debut season at McLaren, where he finished ninth in last year's championship, more than 100 points behind Norris. "He is no longer the next best star coming into F1. The star is here," said former F1 driver and Sky analyst Karun Chandhok. "Some people felt he didn't deserve (the first win). There can be no doubt in anybody's mind that he deserved that victory today."
Piastri's ascent has invigorated Australian fans, who have been disheartened by Daniel Ricciardo's ongoing struggles at Red Bull. Under pressure to retain his race seat, Ricciardo finished 13th after experiencing tyre graining issues that significantly hampered his lap speed. The F1 championship resumes at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend.
