**Verstappen Secures 8th Podium Finish of the Season**

Max Verstappen continues to showcase his dominance this Formula 1 season with his 8th podium finish from 17 races. This latest podium marks his 4th race win of the year. Verstappen kicked off his victories by winning the Japanese Grand Prix in April, followed by the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May. More recently, he clinched wins at both the Italian GP and the Azerbaijan GP this month.

Notably, this is Verstappen’s third consecutive race finishing on the podium, having achieved top-three finishes in the Dutch, Italian, and Azerbaijan Grands Prix.

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**Milestone Achievement: Verstappen’s 120th Career Podium**

This latest podium also represents Verstappen’s 120th career podium finish, further cementing his place among F1’s elite. Alongside this impressive tally, the Dutch driver has amassed 67 career race wins so far.

Earlier in Baku, Verstappen had secured pole position, marking the 6th time this season he started from the front of the grid.

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**Key Stats: George Russell and Carlos Sainz**

Mercedes driver George Russell, who has won 4 career F1 races, earned his 7th podium finish of this season and the 22nd of his career.

Meanwhile, former Scuderia Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz scored his first podium finish of the season after 17 races, bringing his career total to 28 podiums. This was also Ferrari’s first podium since the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.

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**Piastri’s Challenging Weekend**

Oscar Piastri endured a difficult race weekend, crashing out during both qualifying and the main event. The Australian jumped the start in the race, forcing him to stop and restart, which dropped him to the back of the pack. His race ended prematurely just five corners into the Grand Prix when he attempted an ambitious move on Esteban Ocon’s Haas at Turn Five, resulting in a slide into the barrier.

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**Lando Norris Finishes 7th Despite Setbacks**

Starting from seventh on the grid, Lando Norris found himself stuck behind slower cars for much of the race. McLaren tried employing an offset strategy with a late pit stop to gain a tire advantage in the closing laps. Unfortunately, a problem with the right-front wheel gun during his pit stop cost Norris two seconds, marking his second slow stop in a row following issues at Monza. He ultimately finished in seventh place.

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**Race Highlights: Dominant Performances and Final Standings**

Max Verstappen controlled the race from the outset, setting the fastest lap and pulling away comfortably. “This weekend has been incredible for us. The car was working beautifully,” Verstappen remarked after his victory.

George Russell drove an excellent race, employing a similar strategy to Verstappen’s and climbing from fifth on the grid to finish second.

Carlos Sainz secured third place after starting second, giving Ferrari their first podium finish in over two years.

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**Driver Standings Overview**

Oscar Piastri currently leads the 2025 Driver Standings with 324 points accumulated over 17 races, followed closely by teammate Lando Norris with 299 points. Max Verstappen sits third with 255 points, trailing the McLaren duo.

George Russell is fourth with 212 points, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari holds fifth place with 165 points. Lewis Hamilton rounds out the top six with 121 points.

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**Team Standings Snapshot**

McLaren tops the Teams’ Championship with a commanding 623 points after 17 races. Mercedes holds second position with 290 points, just 4 points ahead of Ferrari’s 286.

Red Bull Racing is fourth with 272 points, while Williams completes the top five with 101 points.

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This season continues to deliver thrilling racing moments as the battle for both Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles intensifies. Stay tuned for more updates as the 2025 Formula 1 season progresses.
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