Max Verstappen’s total domination in Baku
Max Verstappen dominates the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku beating George Russell in his Red Bull Mercedes and Carlos Sainz in the Williams, fourth Kimi Antonelli in the other Mercedes. Yet another Ferrari disaster: eighth Lewis Hamilton, ninth Charles Leclerc.
Everything was regular at the start with Verstappen holding the lead from pole position ahead of Sainz and Lawson but at the fifth corner Piastri, already the author of a very bad start, crashes sensationally. Of course, the race is already neutralized by the safety car.
On the fifth lap the race resumes, meanwhile Alonso is given a 5-second penalty for an early start and the Mercedes almost make a patatrac with Antonelli being fourth and Russell sixth behind Tsunoda.
Hamilton passes Hadjar for ninth after a fierce resistance from the Franco-Algerian, Leclerc is two places ahead, then Russell manages to pass Tsunoda and get behind his teammate.
The first of the big guys to pit is Antonelli, then at the end of lap 19 Leclerc stops. Pit-stop also for Lawson who re-enters just ahead of Antonelli who soon after overtakes him. On lap 27 it is Sainz’s turn to stop.
Verstappen, Russell, Tsunoda, Norris and Hamilton wait a long time to stop: the Ferrari Briton does so on lap 36, Norris on lap 37 and it is another bad pit stop by the mechanics after the one in Monza. Tsunoda stops on 38th and is passed by Lawson on his return.
On lap 39 it is Russell’s turn to return to the track in second position ahead of Sainz. Last to stop, at the end of the 40th lap, is Verstappen who goes on to win ahead of, in order, Russell, Sainz, Antonelli, Lawson, Tsunoda, Norris, Hamilton Leclerc, who has major problems with his Ferrari, and Hadjar.
Success number 67 in his career and fourth of the season for Verstappen, who also nets his sixth Grand Slam: pole, win, fastest lap and leading from start to finish. Seventh podium finish of the season for Russell and first for Sainz.
A Williams driver gets on it again after the non-race at Spa in 2021 (Russell second) and the last “real” podium was in 2017, coincidentally in Baku, with Lance Stroll third.
In the drivers’ standings Piastri now has a 25-point lead over Norris, Verstappen is 69 points behind. McLaren must postpone winning the world constructors’ title.
