Formula 1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2017

One of the most unusual Formula 1 races came to an end in Baku on Sunday. As spectacular and turbulent as the race was, the trio of winners on the podium came as a surprise to the spectators.

from B.Fleckenstein

Qualifying already showed how difficult it is for the favorites on this track. Lewis Hamilton just managed to secure pole on the last lap in Q3, edging out Valteri Bottas. Sebastian Vettel also just managed to move up to third on the grid at the last moment ahead of his stablemate Kimi Raikkonen. So the Silver Arrows were on the front row of the grid ahead of the Ferraris.

The start - a disaster
The start was a bit of a disaster. While Lewis Hamilton defended pole, Sebastian Vettel benefited from the duel between Valteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen. The Ferrari driver tried to overtake his compatriot in the Silver Arrow on the right in the left-hand bend after the start-finish straight. Bottas fought back and pushed Räikkönen against the track barrier, causing a collision and resulting in a flat tire for Bottas.

Daniil Kvyat also struggled with the first corner and came back onto the track from the run-off zone, surprising his own teammate Carlos Sainz, who initiated an evasive maneuver, resulting in a spin.

The race - marked by safety cars and race abandonment
After the first laps, the eventual winner seemed to emerge. Hamilton ahead of Vettel. Behind them were Perez and Verstappen, who shone with good performances all weekend. But the tight, winding track in the city of Baku took its toll. After twelve laps, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso) let their bolides coast, leading to the first safety car period. Lewis Hamilton complained that the safety car was moving too slowly and that he was having trouble keeping his tires up to temperature. A little later, it was the Briton himself who was driving too slowly in the second safety car phase, which is why Vettel ran into him. Sebastian Vettel went berserk, took his hands off the wheel, gesticulated wildly, drove alongside the Silver Arrow at the same height and deliberately and demonstratively rammed into Lewis Hamilton's car, which earned the Heppenheimer a 10-second stop-and-go penalty. After further crashes, including one between Force India drivers Sergio Pérez and Esteban Ocon, the race organizers were forced to stop the race completely for over 20 minutes.

After a successful restart from the pit lane, it was Daniel Ricciardo who overtook Eseban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg and Felipe Massa at the same time before a corner, underlining his ambition to be in the running for victory. Hamilton's involuntary stop on lap 31, due to a neck brace coming loose, and Vettel's penalty-induced pit stop ultimately led to Daniel Ricciardo's victory. Lance Stroll drove towards the waving flag in second place, but he was overtaken at the last second by Bottas, who had fought his way back to the front after his unsuccessful start. Sebastian Vettel scored valuable points with fourth place, ahead of Lewis Hamilton behind him, who crossed the finish line in fifth. The world championship remains exciting. Sebastian Vettel leads the championship with 153 points, followed by Lewis Hamilton with 14 points less.

From a Swiss perspective, the good performance of the Sauber drivers in tenth and eleventh place is pleasing. Pascal Wehrlein finished in the points for Sauber.