FORMULA 1: STATISTICS

Once again, the world's most exhilarating race has concluded. The Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which unfolded in Baku from September 13-15, will be etched in memory for Oscar Piastri's unexpected triumph. On the Baku circuit, the McLaren driver astonished everyone by securing first place. He outpaced his competitors and was the first to cross the finish line. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc claimed second place, while George Russell of Mercedes secured third.

The competition in Azerbaijan's capital garnered attention not only for its captivating and intense battle but also for its intriguing statistics.

Fascinating Figures

Charles Leclerc, the victor of the qualifying stage, secured the pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the fourth consecutive time and the 26th time in his career. This achievement puts him on par with Mika Häkkinen in this regard. It marks Ferrari's fifth victory in Baku, Leclerc's fourth success on this track, and his third in the current season.

Oscar Piastri qualified second and started from the front row for the fifth time in his career. This marks his first start in the top six in Baku. Sergio Perez's fourth place allowed him to outperform his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen for the first time since Miami 2023.

The winner, Australian Oscar Piastri, secured his second victory (the first being in Hungary) of the current season. He achieved both successes after starting from second place. Interestingly, McLaren drivers had never previously finished higher than fifth in Baku. Piastri has accumulated the most points (135) over the last seven races (in Austria and Azerbaijan).

Piastri and fourth-place finisher Lando Norris amassed 38 points in Baku. The McLaren team reached the top of the Constructors' Cup for the first time since the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, ending Red Bull Racing's 55 Grand Prix or 847-day leadership streak.

Charles Leclerc's second place is his best result in Azerbaijan. For the fourth consecutive year, Leclerc has failed to win here after starting from pole position.

Max Verstappen finished fifth and has only secured one podium in the last five Grands Prix.

Alex Albon's seventh place is Williams' best result of the season. His young teammate Franco Colapinto earned his first career points in just his second race. In these two races, Colapinto has scored more points (four) than his predecessor at Williams, Logan Sargeant, did in the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined (one point).

Colapinto is the first Argentine to score points since Carlos Reutemann in South Africa 1982.

Hamilton surpassed the 100,000 km milestone in his career (now 100,278 km), second only to Fernando Alonso (107,347 km).

Oliver Bearman finished tenth for Haas F1, becoming the first driver in Formula 1 history to score points for two different teams in his first two Grands Prix.

The race in Baku was the second of the season (after Australia) to conclude under virtual safety car conditions.

A Year of Transformations

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has already released information about changes to the calendar and cars for 2025. It is known that the Bahrain Grand Prix has been the first race on the calendar since 2021, but in 2025 it will become the fourth stage to avoid coinciding with the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims.

The FIA has confirmed that the three-day Formula 1 test sessions will take place in Bahrain in February next year, and the 2025 season will begin in Australia in March. The test sessions will be held at the Sakhir circuit from February 26-28 in the final season before significant changes occur in engine power and regulations in this sport in 2026.

Several drivers from new teams will participate in the tests, including seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who will be wearing a red Ferrari suit after the Briton's move from Mercedes. The 2025 Formula 1 season - the 75th anniversary of this sport - will start in Australia, followed by China and Japan, and conclude with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 5-7.

The International Automobile Federation may amend the rules after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The reason is an incident on the last lap of the race in Baku, when Carlos Sainz swerved sharply to the left and pushed Sergio Perez's car against the barrier. Both drivers were eliminated from the competition. The FIA reported that the accident prompted the deployment of a virtual safety car. Several drivers overtook their rivals during the VSC period on the lap returning to the pits - formally, such overtaking after the chequered flag is allowed, but not in a yellow flag situation. Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, German Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg, and French drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly from Alpine were caught violating virtual safety car rules, although none of the overtakes occurred near the incident site.

In addition to engine power, most cars will have a new choice of tyres. Drivers will be able to better control speed by choosing between "hard" and "soft" tyres. The most significant change will be introduced in 2026. Some cars will reduce engine size, while others will attempt to minimise components to achieve weight reduction.

Overall, new locations for hosting Formula 1 races will appear on the 2026 calendar. Currently, several countries are negotiating this with the FIA leadership.