• BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 21: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates with teammates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 21, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Clive Rose / Getty Images)
    BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 21: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates with teammates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on September 21, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Clive Rose / Getty Images)
  • Race winner Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning in Baku. Getty Images
    Race winner Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium after winning in Baku. Getty Images
  • Red Bull's Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. AFP
    Red Bull's Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. AFP
  • Williams driver Carlos Sainz celebrates with his team after finishing third. AP
    Williams driver Carlos Sainz celebrates with his team after finishing third. AP
  • McLaren's Oscar Piastri and climbs out of his damaged car after crashing out on Lap 1. Getty Images
    McLaren's Oscar Piastri and climbs out of his damaged car after crashing out on Lap 1. Getty Images
  • Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished 14 seconds ahead of second-placed George Russell in Baku. AP
    Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished 14 seconds ahead of second-placed George Russell in Baku. AP
  • Title-race leader Oscar Piastri looks on after crashing out on Lap 1 in Baku. Getty Images
    Title-race leader Oscar Piastri looks on after crashing out on Lap 1 in Baku. Getty Images
  • Ferrari's Charles Leclerc ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. AFP
    Ferrari's Charles Leclerc ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. AFP
  • Ferrari's Charles Leclerc leads Lando Norris of McLaren at Baku City Circuit. Getty Images
    Ferrari's Charles Leclerc leads Lando Norris of McLaren at Baku City Circuit. Getty Images
  • Marshals clear away the car of Oscar Piastri following his crash as his McLaren teammate Lando Norris passes by. Getty Images
    Marshals clear away the car of Oscar Piastri following his crash as his McLaren teammate Lando Norris passes by. Getty Images
  • Red Bull's Max Verstappen leads the field going into Turn 1 at the start during the race. Getty Images
    Red Bull's Max Verstappen leads the field going into Turn 1 at the start during the race. Getty Images

Azerbaijan GP: Max Verstappen eases to win as title leader Oscar Piastri crashes out on first lap


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Max Verstappen coasted to a second successive grand prix win after claiming victory in Azerbaijan on Sunday which saw title-race leader Oscar Piastri crash out on the opening lap.

The reigning champion, who started from pole at the Baku City Circuit, dominated the race with a masterclass performance, finishing 14 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell while Carlos Sainz secured his first podium for Williams in third.

Verstappen made it back-to-back wins for the first time since the Spanish Grand Prix of June 2024 after his victory in Italy last time out.

"This weekend has ben incredible for us, last weekend was already great, but for us to win here again is just fantastic," said the Dutchman.

"In the race the car was working really well on both of the compounds, we had clean air all the time and you could then look after your tyres.

"It was pretty straightforward, it's not easy around here and it's very windy today so the car is always moving around a lot. I'm very happy with this performance.

"The last two race weekends have been amazing for us. Singapore is a completely different challenge again with the higher downforce, so we will see what we can do there."

Mercedes' driver Russell admitted he was happy to see the end of the race after struggling with illness all weekend.

"It's been a bit of a rough weekend for me personally but the car was great, so happy with that," said the Briton.

"I was pretty glad when I saw the chequered flag. Fortunately, I felt much better than I did on Friday and Saturday. Looking forward to a bit of rest now and happy with the results, and for us as a team, trying to beat Ferrari in the constructors' [championship], it was a good step towards that."

Sainz, meanwhile, was ecstatic after sealing Williams' first podium finish of the season. "I honestly can't describe how happy I am and how good this feels. It's even better than my first ever podium that I had," said the Spaniard, who was a four-times race winner with Ferrari.

"We've been fighting hard all year and finally today we just proved that we have the speed and we've had it all year.

"Everything comes together and we can do some amazing things together and today we nailed the race, not one mistake, and we managed to beat a lot of cars that yesterday I wasn't expecting to beat."

It was a disastrous day for McLaren after Piastri's early exit was followed by a lowly seventh-place for Lando Norris who at least cut the Australian's lead down by six points to 25.

McLaren had hoped to secure their 10th Formula One constructors' title, and second in a row, on Sunday with a record seven races still to go.

Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory means the Dutchman has closed to within 69 points of Piastri, who started ninth on the grid after also crashing his McLaren into the barriers during qualifying.

Piastri slipped to the back of the pack after initially moving before the lights went out - for which he was penalised by the stewards - before anti-stall kicked in on his car. The 24-year-old then locked up badly on the way into Turn 5, careering nose-first into the wall.

After climbing into the top six, a messy pitstop lost Norris a couple of places which could prove costly in the race for the title in what was a weekend to forget for McLaren.

Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli was fourth for Mercedes,redeeming himself after a poor home race weekend at Monza, with New Zealander Liam Lawson enjoying a career-high fifth for Racing Bulls.

Yuki Tsunoda was sixth for Red Bull with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc following Norris home in eighth and ninth.

'Saand Ki Aankh'

Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

2019 ASIA CUP POTS

Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand

Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam

Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan

The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars

Updated: September 21, 2025, 1:30 PM