VERSTAPPEN WINS IN BAKU AS FERRARI FAIL TO SCORE
Coming into this weekend many had hoped for an exciting battle between the two Ferrari's and Red Bull's but with Ferrari power units struggling for reliability up and down the grid we didn't get that but a dominant display from Verstappen and Perez gave Red Bull the perfect Sunday afternoon.
With the short run into turn one it was Sergio Perez (Red Bull) who leads after Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) has a lock up into turn one but remains in second place with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) is third and Sainz (Ferrari) in fourth with Russell (Mercedes) in fifth, at the end of the first lap.
The pain for Ferrari started just nine laps into the race with Sainz as he is forced to stop at turn four - with a hydraulics failure and causing the VSC to be deployed as Leclerc pits from second and comes out in third. Almost all of the top ten also pit for fresh tyres. Perez stayed out and leads with Verstappen in second. On the next lap (10/51) The green flag is deployed and the racing can resume at full speed.
Further down the field Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) tries to go for a move on Esteban Ocon (Alpine) but locks up and goes into the run off and loses more positions to Hamilton (Mercedes) and Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri).
On lap 15/51 Verstappen passes Perez for the lead into turn one. It was a simple move for the reigning World Champion with no fight being put up by Perez.
On lap 17 Perez pits from second and Leclerc takes second place with Perez now in third with Russell very close behind the Red Bull as the Mexican driver exits the pit lane.
Two laps later (19/51) Verstappen pits from the lead which gives Leclerc first. Verstappen comes back out in second ahead of Perez.
On lap 20 Ferrari's weekend went from bad to worst as an engine failure for Leclerc who is fighting to gain the championship lead again is forced to retire with an engine failure, which gifts Red Bull a one two once again in this race - Verstappen leads from Perez with Russell now in third.
On lap 24 Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) is forced to retire. Another Ferrari powered car, the third to retire from this race.
Then on lap 33 Kevin Magnussen (Haas) has an engine failure and stops on the side of the track and the VSC is deployed as Red Bull double stack with Verstappen and Perez both pitting. The fourth Ferrari powered car to DNF.
39 laps in Tsunoda has to pit with a rear wing which seems to have cut itself in half due to the extreme speed it goes through in sector three and the team gaffer tape it together.
Lap 48 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) retires from the race.
The next race is the Canadian Grand Prix.
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. All images are owned by Formula One.
Commentaires