Formula One rookies indicate bright future after catching eye on streets of Baku | Giles Richards

09/16/2024 10:39 PM

Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman made impressive cameos away from the drama at the front of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Formula One delivered a gripping contest at the front of the field in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix but in the wake of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc's compelling battle, two of the sport's newest competitors made an impression that should not be overlooked, one that indicates F1's future is in rude health.

In what was a riveting race, Piastri won from Leclerc in Baku and Lando Norris managed to keep his F1 title hopes alive with a strong comeback drive to pass Max Verstappen and take fourth from 15th on the grid. He and Piastri put McLaren into the lead of the constructors' championship for the first time in a decade, while a dramatic crash between Red Bull's Sergio Pérez and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz brought the curtain down on a spirited afternoon.