LKR Gerardo6 moved from fourth on the Baku D1 grid to finish third and claim a first IMS podium for Haas. TheMekanic17 won from sixth, 0.111 seconds ahead of Rochamoya in second.
Gerardo gained one position and joined a podium whose winner had started three rows behind the runner-up. The closest-finish record belonged to the two cars ahead; the breakthrough belonged to third.
Twenty points carry the Haas round
Haas scored 62 BOTT points from ten starts, with one podium and one top-five finish. Gerardo supplied both countback markers and 20 points.
Ferrari led the weekend on 207 points, Red Bull scored 182 and McLaren 141. Haas's success was far narrower, which made its single D1 podium more important rather than less real.
Five points cover the D1 leaders
Piastrigoat retained the championship lead on 172 points, five ahead of race winner TheMekanic on 167. Gerardo's first podium arrived alongside a title fight that had compressed again without changing leader.
Brazil followed with Gerardo now an IMS podium finisher. Baku supplied a one-place gain, Haas's only top-three result and a clean supporting story beneath the headline duel for victory.
