Liam Lawson lodged a career-best fifth-place Formula One finish while Red Bull's Max Verstappen cruised to a dominant Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory as championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed on the opening lap.
Piastri saw his Formula One lead over teammate Lando Norris slashed to 25 points on a day when McLaren had hoped to secure the constructors' title with a record seven rounds remaining.
They must now wait until Singapore on October 5, after their lowest scoring weekend of the season.
New Zealand driver Lawson started a lofty third on the grid but couldn't hold on to a podium finish.
It was still a resolute drive in a Racing Bulls car, slower than many of its rivals.
He was ultimately passed by two Mercedes drivers - George Russell and Kimi Antonelli - but managed to hold Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda and Norris at bay over the closing stages of the 51 lap race in Baku.
"It was rewarding after the last 10 or 15 laps," Lawson said post-race.
"Obviously, it's a little bit disappointing from where we started. Realistically, we didn't have the speed to fight with the guys in front."
Lawson improves two places on the overall standings to 13th with seven rounds remaining.
SHARE ME