F1: Azerbaijan Grand Prix – live race updates

Lap 27/51 Albon’s doping a really good job of holding up Norris and Verstappen – and don’t forget the former is still to pit. A safety car-situation would work beautifully for McLaren now.

Lap 26/51 Piastri has won only one GP in his young career, in Hungary earlier this year. He leads by 0.560 now, as we learn that the Australian pushed too hard early doors, which is why he couldn’t make an impression on Leclerc, but is now driving his car as planned, hence his better performance.

Lap 25/51 Piastri sets a fastest lap as Leclerc gets close enough to get DRS but not close enough to attack. Verstappen, meanwhile, is getting frustrated by his inability to pass Norris.

1. Piastri

2. Leclerc

3. Perez

4. Sainz

5. Albon

6. Norris

7. Verstappen

Lap 24/51 Verstappen is right up Norris’ posterior – Norris, remember hasn’t yet pitted – but shuts the door! Back at the front, Piastri is doing a great job, extending his lead over Leclerc, who’ll feel this slipping away, to -.946s.

Lap 23/51 Leclerc goes at Piastri down the inside but can’t quite make it, the gap between them 0.799 and Perez a further 0.946 behind.

Lap 22/51 The first three cars are almost bumper to bumper! This is brilliant stuff, and what’s extra-brilliant is that Verstappen and Norris aren’t involved.

Lap 21/51 Leclerc goes again but Piastri is on one here – he’s seeing it and resists. The top three are separated by just 1.5s and this is an absolute trip! Norris sits fifth.

Lap 20/51 Now then! Piastri attacks on the inside and Leclerc can’t hold him off! What a move that is, he came from so far back! However! Here comes a second DRS zone, Leclerc attacks … and runs out of road, the corner forcing him to reset! That’s a fantastic piece of work from the Aussie, even if ole Sharl ought to have seen the challenge coming. He’ll come again, but must pay attention to Perez behnd him.

Lap 19/51 Perez attacks Albon down the straight and he could go down either side of him, the track so wide you know the pass is coming. Piastri, meantime, is going nicely, now just 0.929s behind Leclerc, back leading.

Lap 18/51 Sainz pits so Leclerc leads once more, Perez setting a new fastest lap. Piastri, now back second, will be glad of Albon behind him, slowing down the second Red Bull.

1. Leclerc

2. Piastri

3. Albon

4. Perez

5. Norris

6. Sainz

7. Verstappen

8. Russell

Lap 17/51 Now Leclerc pits and Sainz leads, but he’ll regain first position when the Ferrari pits; that’ll be the next time he goes past.

Lap 16/51 Piastri comes in and Perez, on new tyres, boosts past Norris … but Piastri comes out ahead of the Mexican thanks to the work of his teammate, who held things up just enough. Tsunoda, his car jiggered from that earlier collision, retires.

Lap 15/51 Piastri is now far enough ahead of Perez to come in and leave still in front, but he stays out another lap and that looks a bad call, the gap shrinking; Norris is aaked to hold Checo up without damaging his own prospects.

Lap 14/51 Leclerc now leads by 5.173s as Perez goes in and out, exiting the pits in sixth; Norris is now fifth, but of course will soon have to pit himself.

1. Leclerc

2. Piastri

3. Sainz

4. Albon

5. Norris

6. Perez

7. Hulkenberg

8. Bearman

9. Verstappen

10. Ricciardo

Lap 13/51 Verstappen, who’s just plugging away, has had enough of his tyres, coming in and leaving in 10th – more slowly than he’d have hoped – Russell immediately following him and Hamilton also stopping.

Lap 12/51 Piastri responds well to Perez’s pressure, moving further clear of third – the gap is 1.854s– as Leclerc, flying now, leads second place by 4.601s. He loves this circuit and already looks certain to win unless something silly happens.

Lap 11/51 The stops have started, Colapinto coming in and out as Leclerc sets a new fastest lap and increases his lead to 3.745s; Norris is now just 1.936 behind Albon.

Lap 10/51 Hulkenberrg zooms past Bearman into 11th, team orders perhaps coming into effect, as Leclerc ploughs on, 1.453s in front of Piastri, struggling a little with his rear-tyre temperatures. And behind him, Perez is closing…

Lap 9/51 Leclerc keeps at it as Norris is told his tyres – he’s on hards, everyone in front bar Albon on mediums – aren’t graining yet.

1. Leclerc

2. Piastri

3. Perez

4. Sainz

5. Veratappen

6. Russell

7. Alonso

8. Colapinto

9. Albon

10. Norris

Lap 8/51 Yup, here comes Norris; he eases by Bearman and into the points, but he’s work to do to make this an acceptable weekend. Leclerc now leads by 2.462s, puts down a fastest lap, and the stopping and tyre strategy will soon start to unfold.

Lap 7/51 Leclerc is driving nicely now, the leads up to 1.805. Norris, meanwhile, is 0.309 behind Bearman, and will soon attack…

Lap 6/51 Hamilton isn’t happy with his tyres but the other Merc is doing better, Russell now going quicker than Verstappen, in front of him – the gap is 1.514s. Leclerc extends his lead to nearly 1.5s.

Lap 5/51 I meant to say earlier, Stroll has a puncture, perhaps sustained in a clash with Tsunoda – which explains why the RB is struggling so. Back at the front, Leclerc is moving in and out of DRS, his lead over Piastri currently 1.028s.

Lap 4/51 Leclerc isn’t rolling over for Piastri, increasing his lead to 1.1s or so; Hamilton is the latest to overtake Tsunoda, whose car appears to be ailing.

Lap 3/51 Piastri closes on Leclerc and has him within DRS range; Norris passes Tsunoda as he needed to and must now close the distance on Bearman, five seconds down the road while, behind him. Hulkenberg also passes Tsunoda. Hamilton, having started from the pit lane, is 16th.

Lap 2/51 Leclerc leads by almost a second as, down the main straight, Nozza eases past Hulkenberg and has DRS on Tsunoda – he needs to get by quickly because Bearman is stretching ahead with every second.

1. Leclerc

2. Piastri

3. Perez

4. Sainz

5. Verstappen

6. Russell

7. Alonso

8. Colapinto

9. Albon

10. Bearman

11. Tsunoda

12. Norris

Lap 1/51 Lights out and Leclerc starts well, out in front while Perez moves by Sainz and Verastappen sneaks past Russell! But wither Norris? Someone tell us, please? Ah, there we go, he’s moved up two places into 13th.

It’s a short run to the first corner, and we’re good to go!

It’s all to race for in the constructor championship; currently, Red Bull lead the standings with 446 points, but McLaren, without a win since 2008, are close behind with 438, while Ferrari aren’t out of it on 407.

And off it goes.

The formation lap is almost upon us.

It’s kind of windy in the city of wind, but it’s unclear from which direction that wind is coming. More news as I get it!

Do we think Leclerc has the necessary to win here? The Ferrari looks in good order, but Piastri will fancy his chances of beating it off the line.

Oliver Bearman looks happy and why wouldn’t he be? At 19, he’s not only racing at this level but has out-qualified his teammate, Nico Hülkenberg. He’ll feel invincible and that the world is his; good for him.

Anthem tme!

It’s nice and sunny in Baku today – and also warm. Excitement is building as the cars gather on the grid.

Another potential factor: in the last four races on this circuit, we’ve seen either a safety car or a virtual safety car. I daresay the boy Nozza would accept that today.

We mustn’t forget that there are drivers who’ll be under team orders today. Piastri will have been told to do whatever he can in his McLaren to disrupt Verstappen, while Pérez will have to allow his teammate past, assuming George Russell is overtaken first.

Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, will be extremely relaxed about the overtaking situation. However he’ll also know that he’s now been on pole for this race four times on the spin and has yet to convert one to a race win.

The problem the drivers – and Norris in particular – have is that overtaking on the Baku City Circuit is not easy. He reckons strategy will be especially important, but also knows that, if he gets a clean run at any point, his car is fast enough to do damage.

The grid

Preamble