McLaren came into the weekend on the verge of clinching the constructors’ title, but they will have to wait at least another race after a difficult weekend in Baku.
Piastri, 31 points clear in the drivers’ championship heading into the weekend, crashed out of both qualifying and race in an uncharacteristically scrappy weekend.
The Australian’s grand prix unravelled even before the lights went out as he jumped the start and had to stop again before getting under way.
That dropped him to the back of the field into the first corner and his race came to an end just five corners later.
He tried to go for an ambitious move around the outside of Esteban Ocon’s Haas into Turn Five, but found no grip and slid straight on into the barrier.
Norris should have been able to capitalise, but the Briton himself lost a place on the first lap to Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, the start of a frustrating race.
Norris soon passed the Frenchman, but he spent the first part of the race stuck behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
McLaren extended his first stint, leaving his pit stop as late as possible, in an attempt to give him a tyre offset on those ahead.
But a problem with the right-front wheel gun cost him two seconds, giving him a second slow pit stop in a row after the dramas of Monza, which led to much debate about McLaren’s decision to order Piastri to let him back past after losing a position as a consequence.
That cost him what was anyway a slim hope of jumping ahead of Lawson and Tsunoda, and he rejoined the race two seconds behind them.
He closed up quickly onto the back of the Red Bull, but as Tsunoda was unable to pass Lawson despite his fresher tyres.
The New Zealander drove an outstanding defensive race, holding faster cars at bay throughout after his strong qualifying session put him fourth on the grid. So Norris became stuck in a DRS train and could not pass Tsunoda.
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