In an incredible turn of events, both drivers–each primed to win–suddenly vanished from the race. Hamilton finished 15th, Verstappen 18th.
BAKU, Azerbaijan – In a race that revealed why Formula 1 racing is one of the most exciting sporting events globally, defeat was snatched from victory’s jaws twice at Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
After Red Bull’s Max Verstappen vacated the lead, followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won his second career Grand Prix. Perez finished 1.3 seconds ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel, who took his first podium since Turkey of last year. Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly took the third podium of his career by flashing past Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the end to finish third.
‘Astonishing’ is the only way to describe how Sunday turned out.
Perez took the lead with only four laps remaining when it seemed that Max Verstappen would win in his Red Bull ahead of Lewis Hamilton. But coming on the straightaway, Verstappen lost his rear left tire due to a puncture, and the incident ended his day.
Verstappen wasn’t the only retirement from the race. The same fate befell Lance Stroll when his Aston Martin suffered a blowout on lap 30–an incident that pitched him into the wall. Earlier, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon retired on lap five with a power unit issue.
Hamilton’s situation came very late and most unusually. After Verstappen’s incident, race officials decided that the race would be red-flagged, and it took 15 minutes for the race to resume. With only two laps to go–and using a standing start to resume racing–the previously second-place Hamilton attempted to pass Perez and take the lead. But Hamilton’s brakes locked up and, instead of making the turn, he drove straight ahead into the runoff area. That ended Hamilton’s day and gave Perez the lead and ultimate victory.
“I am very happy for me and the race. It was pretty crazy,” Perez said after the race. I have to say I am very sorry for Max (Verstappen) because he ran a great race. He really deserved the win, and it would have been good for the team with a 1-2. It is a fantastic day for us.”
For Vettel, it was a revival, as he gave the Aston Martin team its first podium and his first award in over a year. “I think this means a great deal for the team,” Vettel exclaimed. “It was a great race, and we actually had great pace. The restart really worked well for me. And I am over the moon!”
Gasly finished with his second podium following his fantastic win last season in Italy, which proves that he can produce results. “Incredible, I really don’t know what to say,” he said. “I was not sure that we could keep up that position and in the end we did it.”
Among others in the top ten, pole-sitter Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took the lead early but couldn’t sustain the pace finishing fourth. Lando Norris took fifth in his McLaren. Fernando Alonso had his best finish in the Alpine by placing in sixth, while Yuki Tsunoda finished seventh in the second Alpha Tauri. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. took eighth on a day when he didn’t race well. Daniel Riccardo took ninth in the second McLaren, while Kimi Raikkonen finished in the points for the first time this season by grabbing tenth in the Alfa Romeo.
Mercedes’s Valtteri Bottas continued his curious downturn by finishing out of the top ten in 12th place.
Formula 1 will resume near Marseille on the weekend of June 20 with French Grand Prix.
