Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Key facts

1. Sebastian Vettel’s outburst against Lewis Hamilton (2017)

During the second edition of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, we television viewers witnessed a scene that could be described as lunar.

Mercedes, having locked out the front row in qualifying, set off from the starting grid with the firm intention of securing yet another one-two finish. However, their plan will quickly be disrupted by a Sebastian Vettel looking like a conquering hero, determined to steal the spotlight from the Silver Arrows.

Then an incident occurs on the 19th lap, leading to the deployment of the safety car. Without apparent reason, Hamilton brakes in front of Vettel, who cannot avoid the collision. The German is enraged and completely loses his temper. He positions himself next to Hamilton and comes to hit his front left wheel as a protest. An action with meager consequences for the Briton, but which will result in a 10-second Stop and Go for Vettel.

Quite the talking point

💥 😮 💥 😵@pirellisport #F1Rewind pic.twitter.com/7D8Jwrrj89

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 6, 2020

2. Valtteri Bottas P2 on the finish line (2017)

Always in 2017, we were able to witness a spectacular arrival for second place. Formula 1 can sometimes be decided by a thousandth of a second, and Lance Stroll had a bitter experience. While the Canadian was about to cross the finish line in second place, a Mercedes appeared like a rocket in his rear-view mirrors, that of Valtteri Bottas. The Finn was able to take advantage of the slipstream on the long straight of Baku to overtake Stroll just before the finish line and thus take second place. A legendary scene that we are not soon to forget.

3. The Breakup between Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo (2018)

During the 2018 edition, an intense, too intense, confrontation took place between Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen. Starting from the fourth and fifth positions respectively, they engaged in a fierce battle that would determine which of the two would be the first to cross the finish line.

Throughout the 40 laps, the two competitors made multiple passing attempts at the first turn, alternating positions several times. What was bound to happen, happened. On the last straight, Ricciardo missed his braking point and collided with the back of Verstappen’s car. As a result, both Red Bulls had to retire from the race and the team scored no points.

4. Charles Leclerc: « I am stupid » (2019)

In 2019, Charles Leclerc took a turn…to say the least memorable. With the pole position in sight, he ended up greeting the wall of turn 8 a bit too closely. The result: a radio moment that became a cult where he declared himself « stupid ». Fortunately, more scare than damage, but the wall still remembers…just like Charles!

5. Hamilton and Verstappen miss their chance to score big points (2021)

In 2021, the battle for the title between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen set the pace for the entire season. In Baku, Hamilton got a better start than Verstappen, but a poorly executed pit stop by Mercedes changed the situation. Verstappen then took the lead and seemed on his way to victory. Just five laps from the end, a twist occurred: the Red Bull’s tire burst, sending the car violently into the wall. Unscathed but furious, the Dutch driver expressed his frustration by kicking his left front tire.

Hamilton finds himself in an ideal position to clinch victory, with his main rival out of the race. A red flag is waved, temporarily stopping the race, before the drivers return to the grid for a new start. In second position, Hamilton notices thick smoke coming from his brakes. During the restart, at turn 1, he goes straight, after accidentally pressing a button that changes the brake bias. As a result, the seven-time champion finishes far from the podium, in 16th place, without scoring any points.