“Both victories have been very special to him,” continued Webber. “But to do as he did today, you know, learning, sitting behind Charles in the first stint, actually ran out of a bit of range at the end of the first stint. And then they sent him a bit longer than they’d have liked, left him a bit exposed to Sergio [Perez].
“[He] just did Sergio and then he knuckled down to get the job done. To pull off a Grand Prix like that around a place like this, disciplined, getting the move done, and then leading from the front was pretty world class to say the least.
HIGHLIGHTS: Relive the action from Baku as Piastri takes exhilarating victory in dramatic fight for the win
“People forget… he didn’t have the upgrade in Miami and then since Miami he’s been one of the biggest points scorer if not the biggest point scorer. People are very quick to look at it, oh it’s not quite – it’s a perception thing, he’s done an extraordinary job, as has Lando [Norris] and the whole team at McLaren.”
Piastri might have claimed on the radio after crossing the line that it was a stressful race, but you couldn’t tell from his calm demeanour.
And Webber was quick to note that his protégé will “keep his feet on the ground and keep working hard,” with seven races still to go until the flag falls on the 2024 season.
