Sainz and Perez in massive crash on penultimate lap of Azerbaijan GP

Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez were involved in a massive crash on the penultimate lap of an enthralling Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

With McLaren's Oscar Piastri managing to stretch his lead out front after being hounded for 30 laps by Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari, the Monégasque then started to lose his rear tyres.

That allowed Red Bull's Perez to push for second place, but with Sainz also closing in as he sensed a podium.

At the start of lap 50, Perez went for a move on Leclerc, only for the latter to hug the barrier at Turn 1 and force the Mexican wide. IN turn, Sainz seized his opportunity to make a move on Perez and claim third place.

Sainz, though, was slow out and that allowed Perez to pull himself back alongside and attempt to reclaim third between Turns 2 and 3.

But as Sainz shifted marginally to his left, Perez ran into the side of the SF-24, with the impact sending both hurtling into a wall on their left-hand side. 

Perez, winner of this race twice in the past, was incredulous over the radio, while Sainz simply asked: "What happened? What happened?"

The race then finished behind a virtual safety car, with Piastri taking the chequered flag ahead of Leclerc. Mercedes' George Russell was promoted onto the podium, with McLaren's Lando Norris fourth and Max Verstappen in his Red Bull fifth.