Perez blames Sainz as McLaren takes control of title fight – international media reactions

Oscar Piastri took a stunning victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and McLaren took the lead in the Constructors' Championship.

It was a thrilling race at the Baku City Circuit, with Charles Leclerc leading the first stint from pole position before Piastri launched a late attack on the Ferrari driver at the first corner on lap 20.

Piastri defended himself superbly against Leclerc over the next 26 laps of the race. The race ended with VSC after an accident involving Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez on the penultimate lap.

The duo battled with Leclerc for second place before a scuffle broke out on the back straight between the second and third corners, which saw George Russell surprisingly inherit third place ahead of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

What did the rest of the world say about the race? Find out as RacingNews365 takes you through the headlines of some of the biggest global publications.

🇬🇧 The Times – “Piastri and Norris put McLaren in the lead after dramatic last-minute crash”

Starting from Great Britain, popular newspaper The times has focused on Piastri's second career F1 win and McLaren overtaking Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship.

Piastri drove an excellent race and seemed to surprise Leclerc with his late move in the first corner before pulling off a defensive masterpiece.

It was a masterpiece of a different kind from Norris, who put in an exceptional first stint and finished fourth from 15th place on the grid.

Crucially, he reduced Verstappen's lead in the championship by a further three points, while McLaren is now 20 points ahead of Red Bull.

🇮🇹 La Gazzetta dello Sport – “Sainz: “I didn’t do anything wrong”. Perez: “Carlos went in too fast””

In Italy The Gazzetta dello Sport looked back at the accident involving Perez and Sainz on the penultimate lap, which ended both drivers’ hopes of a podium finish in Baku.

Until his accident, it was Perez's best race in a long time and the Mexican driver seemed to be on course for his first podium finish since the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year.

Race control decided not to take any further action over the collision. Perez believed that Sainz was responsible for the collision, while the Ferrari driver stressed that he was not in the wrong.

Sainz and Perez were side by side when the accident occurred. Both cars were significantly damaged.

🇫🇷 L'Equipe – “Verstappen: “Another very bad race””

In France, French publication The team has spoken about another disappointing race for Verstappen, who remains very unhappy with his RB20.

The three-time world champion complained about a lack of grip, missing brakes and his car “jumping”, which meant another setback in his title lead.

Norris overtook the Dutchman a few laps before the end and reduced Verstappen's lead to 59 points. The chances of a new world champion thus steadily increased.

🇳🇱 De Telegraaf – Boost for Lando Norris: “I’m surprised I was able to overtake Max”

In the Netherlands The Telgraaf looked at quotes from Norris, who was “surprised” that he was able to finish ahead of Verstappen.

Since Norris had started nine places behind Verstappen, it was not expected that the McLaren driver would further reduce the 26-year-old's lead in the championship.

The key to Norris' P4 result was an outstanding first stint on the hard compound, lasting 37 laps, which gave him a significant tyre and speed advantage in the final laps.

🇩🇪 BILD – “Red Bull writes off World Cup”

In Germany PICTURE focused on some powerful quotes from Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko regarding the team's title chances.

After Perez retired and Verstappen finished fifth, Marko said Heaven DE: “We can write off the constructors’ championship.”

Red Bull will need significant improvements to the RB20 to reduce its gap to McLaren, who are expected to pass the 20-point mark this weekend in Singapore.

🇦🇺 Herald Sun – ‘Phenomenal’: Oscar Piastri wins Azerbaijan Grand Prix amid wild drama at the end

And finally, the Herald Sun celebrated its local hero's second F1 victory in Australia. Piastri has been in top form recently.

The McLaren driver's overtaking manoeuvre against Leclerc and his nerve to defend the lead for 31 laps were extraordinary and illustrate why he is so highly regarded by many.

He is now 91 points behind Verstappen and 32 behind Norris in the drivers' championship. If the Australian driver wins in Singapore, it could become a difficult situation for McLaren.