Max Verstappen wins the Azerbaijani GP for the first time, ahead of his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez, to extend his lead in the world championship; Charles Leclerc retired from the lead with an engine failure after Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz had the same fate; George Russell third for Mercedes
Last update: 12/6/22 2:33 PM
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Charles Leclerc suffered an engine failure on the 20th lap in Baku
Charles Leclerc suffered an engine failure on the 20th lap in Baku
Max Verstappen drove Sergio Pérez to a Red Bull one-two at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after Ferrari suffered a disastrous afternoon that saw both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz retire due to engine failure.
After ending different strategies following the virtual security car that was unleashed by Sainz’s withdrawal on the ninth lap, Verstappen and Leclerc seemed prepared for another battle for victory, only for the other Ferrari to suffer the same fate. when he was leading lap 20.
From there it was an entourage for Red Bull, with Perez leading the first corner after passing Leclerc’s line, unable to match Verstappen’s pace at the Baku circuit.
The victory gives Verstappen an advantage in the world championship to 21 points, with Pérez taking an extra point to set the fastest lap time, beating Leclerc by a second, and the Monegasque 13 points behind. In the constructors’ championship, Red Bull’s advantage over Ferrari increases to 80 points.
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Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win first place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Max Verstappen crosses the finish line to win first place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
George Russell kept his record of finishing in the top five in all races of his Mercedes debut season while taking another podium, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton battled the evil of back caused by the bounce of his car to climb to fourth place.
Pierre Gasly was fifth for AlphaTauri, with Sebastian Vettel sixth for Aston Martin. The two Alpine riders scored points with Fernando Alonso seventh and Esteban Ocon 10th, while Daniel Ricciardo overcame a race duel with his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to finish one place ahead of the Briton in eighth place.
As if watching their own cars retreat wasn’t bad enough, there were also what appeared to be retreats related to the engine of Kevin Magnussen’s Ferrari cars from Haas and Zhou Gunayu from Alfa Romeo.
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Max Verstappen surpasses his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and takes first place in the Azerbaijani Grand Prix!
Max Verstappen surpasses his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and takes first place in the Azerbaijani Grand Prix!
The result was that Leclerc did not turn pole position into victory for a fourth straight race, with the Ferrari driver now five races without a win, although he often seemed to have had enough speed to beat the Red Bulls.
It was Leclerc’s second withdrawal from the lead with a three-race engine failure, with a strategy error in the middle of Monaco that saw him lose his track position against the Red Bulls there.
Leclerc’s hopes of ending the streak on Sunday were immediately dashed when Pérez went off the line, and almost lost another place to Verstappen after a strong block in the first corner.
Despite Red Bull’s higher straight line speed, Leclerc was able to contain Verstappen in the early stages, until a hydraulic failure by Sainz on the ninth lap saw his Ferrari teammate choose to pit. in virtual car security conditions, it looks like it changed. to a two-stop strategy.
Verstappen was left out and quickly shut down Perez to take the lead, with the Mexican’s order not to “fight” against his teammate clearly faster. Pérez’s lack of rhythm was a bit surprising after a brilliant performance to win in Monaco last time and an impressive demonstration during training and qualifying in Baku.
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Max Verstappen surpasses his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and takes first place in the Azerbaijani Grand Prix!
Max Verstappen surpasses his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and takes first place in the Azerbaijani Grand Prix!
Leclerc regained the lead when Verstappen entered the chest on lap 18, with his various strategies that seemed to establish an intriguing battle. However, just two laps later, smoke began to blow from the back of the Ferrari engine, leaving the driver distressed to head to the pits.
From there, Verstappen comfortably extended his lead over Perez, with a subsequent virtual safety car caused by Magnussen’s withdrawal that gave Red Bull the opportunity to stop the two cars to get new tires, as which eliminated the possibility of repeating last year’s race when a tire failed. he saw the Dutchman withdraw from a dominant leadership.
Azerbaijan GP: Race result1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull2) Sergio Pérez, Red Bull (fastest lap) 3) George Russell, Mercedes4) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes5) Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri6) Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin7) Fernando Alonso, Alpine8) Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren9) Lando Norris, McLaren10) Esteban Ocon, Alpine