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Masterclass from Piastri in the streets of Baku: "Hung on for dear life"
Oscar Piastri has reacted to the intense battle with Charles Leclerc by branding it one of the better races in his entire career. Piastri can now call himself a multiple Grand Prix winner, but he had to work hard for it in Azerbaijan. Leclerc was breathing down his neck for 35 laps in the streets of Baku.
How Piastri reacted to the intense duel in Baku
Piastri knew he needed to make the overtake on Leclerc early after the pitstop. "I tried, at the start to get in front, but once I got out of DRS I didn't have the pace. After the stop, I saw we were pretty close again. I felt like we had a bit of extra grip and thought we had to go for it because I thought I'd never get past otherwise," Piastri said.
"I went for a big lunge and hung on for dear life for the next 35 laps. The last couple of laps were a little bit more relaxing but there's no such thing as a relaxing lap. That goes down as one of the better races in my career," Piastri added.
The result, along with Lando Norris' P4 in Baku, now means McLaren lead the Constructors' World Championship. He sees a fantastic improvement from when he first arrived on the scene at McLaren. "Where we started when joined, we were literally last. Now we are leading the championship. Full credit to the team. Results like this weren't possible 12 months ago. It's a massive team effort, and I'm excited to see what the future holds," Piastri added.
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17 September 2024
