Azerbaijan GP: Leclerc Pledges To Learn From Piastri Battle After Near Miss

Leclerc started at the front of the grid in Baku for the fourth time in a row, having also claimed a memorable triumph for Ferrari at their home circuit of Monza last time out.

However, Piastri passed Leclerc on a straight on the 20th lap, and a spirited fightback was not enough for the Monegasque driver as the McLaren held on for his second win of the year.

The result means Leclerc remains third in the drivers' championship standings with 235 points, behind Max Verstappen (313) and Lando Norris (254), while Ferrari remain third in the constructors' table.

Speaking about his battle with Piastri after the race, Leclerc said: "It is enjoyable when you've got many opportunities every lap. 

"I think maybe McLaren had less downforce and in the straights they were very quick, in the corners we were a bit quicker. 

"I couldn't get as close as I wanted and eventually we lost the race when I didn't defend as well as I could have at the end of the straight. Sometimes you make mistakes and I'll learn from it."

Asked at what stage he realised victory was unlikely, Leclerc said: "I think as soon as we put the hard tyres on. On the medium we were very competitive, and the car felt good.?

"Unfortunately for me, we didn't do any high fuel running in FP1 and FP2. We went for a setup direction which in the race was a bit more difficult to manage.?

"McLaren and Oscar have done an exceptional job and done better than us."

Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, was pushing for a podium finish when he crashed with Baku specialist Sergio Perez, taking both drivers out of the race.

"It's a huge shame for Carlos on the last laps," Leclerc said. "Hopefully everyone is okay, and obviously it's not a great day for the team."