Paul Henman formula1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan – Race

Grand Prix of Azerbaijan – Race

Even after an eventful Qualifying session, there’s still more happening before the cars get to the grid:

  • Gasly disqualified from Baku qualifying after fuel flow infringement [F1]
    However, he was already going to start from the pit lane as the penalty for missing the weighbridge in FP3
  • Raikkonen disqualified from qualifying results in Baku after the front wing on his Alfa Romeo failed a post-session front wing deflection test [F1]
  • Williams announced they had opted to start from the pits with Kubica, following his crash in qualifying

Provisional grid: BOT, HAM, VET, VER, PER, KVY, NOR, GIO*, RAI*, LEC, SAI, RIC, ALB, MAG, GAS*, STR, GRO, HUL, RUS, KUB*
*GIO has a 10 grid place penalty to be applied
*GAS will start the race from the pit lane due to his penalties
*RAI will start the race from the pit lane due to his penalty

So the updated grid: BOT, HAM, VET, VER, PER, KVY, NOR, LEC, SAI, RIC, ALB, MAG, STR, GRO, HUL, RUS, GIO and starting from the pit lane: KUB, RAI, GAS.

HAM takes to the escape road on his way to the grid!
Everyone’s keeping an eye on Ferrari as they wait to see what tyres LEC will start on after his Q2 incident

Air temperature 20°C; track 42°C; humidity 46%

BOT leads 16 cars around on the formation lap (the 3 starting from the pit lane don’t participate)
LEC is on a new set of medium compound tyres
KUB is at the end of the pit lane, with RAI behind him; GAS is still in his garage
Grid forms up
GAS joins the queue in the pits

01/51: BOT stays just ahead of HAM into Turn 1
RIC has passed LEC – oh, actually it’s LEC falling back

02: BOT, HAM, VET, PER, VER, NOR, KVY, SAI, RIC, LEC, STR, ALB, MAG, HUL, GIO, GRO, RAI, RUS, GAS, KUB

03: BOT fastest lap 1:47.592
DRS now enabled
BOT 2.3sec ahead of HAM, who in turn is 3.5sec ahead of VET

04: LEC inside KVY for P8, back to where he started
PER close to the wall in Turn 8

05/51: LEC inside SAI for P7
ALB dives inside KVY to steal 11 from his teammate
VER harrying PER over P4

06: BOT f/lap 1:47.550
LEC takes P6 from NOR
VER inside PER into Turn 1 to take P4
KVY makes an early pit stop
Race control: incident involving KUB under investigation – start procedure

07: LEC steams past PER for P5
GAS takes P13 from HUL
RAI pits

08: MAG pits, as does GIO

09: SAI takes P7 from teammate NOR
Radio from VER – “engine braking is not working properly”

10/51: BOT, HAM, VET, VER, LEC, PER, SAI, NOR, STR, RIC, ALB, GAS, GRO, RUS, KUB, KVY, MAG, RAI, HUL, GRO
LEC makes the pass on VER look easy; takes P4
NOR pits

11: LEC closing on VET
Racing Point stack their drivers as STR and PER both pit

12: VET pits from P3; new mediums go on; rejoins P5

13: BOT pits from P1; new mediums; rejoins P4
LEC f/lap 1:4

14: HAM pits from P1; new mediums; rejoins P4
LEC now P1, on used mediums
VET f/lap 1:46.931
Drive-through penalty for KUB – he was waiting in the pit lane (to start the race) too early

15/51: VER pits from P2; new mediums; rejoins P6
KUB serves his penalty

16: NOR takes P8 from GRO
STR past RUS for P15

17: HAM f/lap 1:46.246
VER all over the rear wing of GAS
GAS hands P5 to his teammate

18: BOT f/lap 1:46.087
KVY inside GRO for P10

19: HAM f/lap 1:45.867

20/51: LEC, BOT, HAM, VET, VER, GAS, PER, NOR, SAI, KVY, GRO, MAG, RAI, RIC, STR, HUL, GIO, ALB, RUS, KUB
HAM f/lap 1:45.683
STR past RAI for P14

21: HAM f/lap 1:45.570
VER f/lap 1:45.569

22: VER f/lap 1:45.529
RIC takes P12 from MAG
Radio from HAM saying he doesn’t think these (medium) tyres will last

23: Yet to pit: LEC, GAS, GRO, RUS
Radio for HAM – “we’re confident your opportunities will come at the end of the race”

24: VER f/lap 1:45.387
VET closing on HAM
RIC closing on GRO

25/51: LEC, BOT, HAM, VET, VER, GAS, PER, NOR, SAI, KVY
KUB pits
GRO locks up, takes to the escape, handing P11 to RIC

Half distance

27: RAI takes P13 from MAG

28: ALB inside HUL to take P16, but ALB taps the wall again

29: BOT closing on LEC – gap is down to 1.6sec; HAM is 1.7s behind BOT

30/51: LEC, BOT, HAM, VET, VER, GAS, PER, NOR, SAI, KVY, RIC, STR, RAI, MAG, GIO, ALB, HUL, GRO, RUS, KUB

31: BOT under 1sec behind LEC, so he’ll have DRS
HAM now has DRS behind BOT too

32: BOT passes LEC for P1
VER f/lap 1:45.051
RIC and KVY in the escape road; RIC reverses and taps KVY!

33: HAM uses DRS to pass LEC at the same place that BOT used
RIC pits; retires
Radio from LEC – “losing too much time”, “we should pit”; told they don’t think the soft tyre will last

34: LEC lets VET past for P3
VER f/lap 1:45.046
Incident involving RIC and KVY under investigation

35/51: LEC pits from P4; new softs go on; rejoins P5 but GAS immediately passes him
KVY pits; retires
LEC reclaims P5 from GAS

37: Incident involving RIC and KVY will be investigated after the race

38: Balloons on the track!

39: GAS slowing; trying to find somewhere to safely park the Red Bull
Virtual Safety Car deployed

40/51: BOT, HAM, VET, VER, LEC, PER, NOR, SAI, STR, RAI, ALB, GIO, MAG, HUL, (GAS) RUS, KUB
VER f/lap 1:44.794
GRO pits; retires

41[VSC]: Retirements: GAS, GRO, KVY, RIC
VSC ending

42: BOT 2.8sec ahead of HAM, who in turn is 2.3sec ahead of VET

43: Radio for VER warning him to stay off the kerb at the exit of Turn 16

44: Why are the track-side signs flashing “23”?

45/51: BOT, HAM, VET, VER, LEC, PER, SAI, NOR, STR, RAI, ALB, GIO, MAG, HUL, RUS, KUB
BOT f/lap 1:44.488

47 = 5 laps to go: Will HAM have one last go at catching BOT?

48: Ferrari mechanics getting ready
LEC pits from P5; new softs go on; rejoins still P5, ahead of PER

49: HAM f/lap 1:44.166
HAM now close enough to get DRS behind his teammate

50/51: BOT, HAM, VET, VER, LEC, PER, SAI, NOR, STR, RAI
BOT closing on RUS to lap him again

51: BOT f/lap 1:44.024
LEC f/lap 1:43.009

BOT takes the chequered flag
HAM = P2

Provisional result: BOT, HAM, VET, VER, LEC, PER, SAI, NOR, STR, RAI; ALB, GIO, MAG, HUL, RUS, KUB
DNF: GAS, GRO, KVY, RIC
Fastest lap: LEC

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