Norris has reduced Verstappen's advantage in the drivers' championship to 59 points with seven grands prix to race.

McLaren announced in the lead-up to the race that team orders would be in place to ensure Piastri worked for Norris, in his pursuit to the drivers' championship.

But after outclassing the Brit in Monza and qualifying on the front row, Piastri sent a clear message to McLaren that he is not a number-two driver in this team.

His race-winning move on lap 20 past Leclerc belied the Australian's inexperience.

"After the stop, I saw we were pretty close," Piastri said.

"I felt like we had a little bit of extra grip and I had to go for it, because I knew if I didn't get past at the start of the stint I was never going to get past.

"I went for a pretty big lunge then clung on for 35 laps. Goes down as one of my the better races of my career."

The result means McLaren move ahead of Red Bull to the top of the constructors' championship standings with a 20-point lead. It is the first time McLaren lead the constructors' championship in a decade.

"Considering where we started when I joined the team last year, we were literally last and now we are leading the championship,' Piastri said.

"It's a big thanks to the team for improving the car but improving myself as well."

Piastri started second next to pole sitter Charles Leclerc, who was on pole for the fourth consecutive year. 

Both starting on the medium tyres, the Ferrari was clearly the better of the two cars as Leclerc managed to secure a healthy advantage.

But once each car moved onto the hard-compound tyre the McLaren was clearly faster.

Piastri made his move on lap 20 with a lunge into the first corner and never relinquished the lead. 

Leclerc threatened to snatch the lead again for the next 31 laps, but the Australian remained cool in the Baku heat.

Perez and Sainz threatened to make it a four-way duel for the win but the duo crashed into each other on the penultimate lap, forcing the race to end under a safety car and allowing Russell to claim a fortunate, but well-earned podium. 

Three-time defending drivers' champion Max Verstappen suffered a frustrating day around the streets of Baku.

Despite starting sixth and Norris 15th, the Dutch champion finished behind the Brit and had his lead in the drivers' championship reduced from 62 to 59 points with seven grands prix to go..

Norris had a disaster in qualifying a day earlier, qualifying 17th fastest (starting 15th after two cars took grid penalties) after being caught out by a yellow flag in Q1. 

But the British driver was brilliant, moving up to the top 10 by lap eight of 51, as he started on harder tyres than his rivals in a bid to be on faster tyres at the end of the race. 

At the midway point in the race Verstappen, who had pitted, was behind Norris who was on much older tyres. But the Red Bull star could not overtake the McLaren, despite the tyre advantage. 

Verstappen was complaining over the team radio as he watched Norris, with older tyres, starting to stretch away from him,

"I have no rear grip. The car is just jumping on the rear. Losing contact," he said.

Norris pitted and set himself 14 laps to haul in Verstappen who was 15 seconds up the road. 

The McLaren challenger was methodical in his pursuit of Verstappen, comfortably making the overtake at the first time of asking with three laps to go. 

The timing was perfect for Norris. If he did not make the move then he likely would have finished behind Verstappen, with the subsequent crash between Sainz and Perez forcing the race to end under the safety car. 

Verstappen is in his longest stretch without a race win since 2020 and is clearly struggling with a car that began the season as the clear leader.

Time may be on the Dutchman's side with his 59-point advantage still sizeable, if not uncomfortable, with seven weekends left in the season.