Baku: Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen appeared set to take his first first-ever Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory on Sunday earlier than he crashed out from the lead with simply 5 laps to go, giving his teammate Sergio Perez a second career victory. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton locked up on the penultimate lap to complete sixteenth in a vastly dramatic race in Baku.
“For the first time this season, Charles Leclerc led away from the pole, but he was passed for the lead by Lewis Hamilton with no need for DRS, so strong was the tow, on Lap 2. Verstappen then swept by the Ferrari man on Lap 7,” acknowledged an official Formula 1 launch.
Today was a humbling expertise. We labored so arduous to place ourselves again within the prime 10 as we speak after a rocky week right here in Baku. We gave it our all as we speak and a small error brought on the brakes to change off. Sorry to the workforce, we’ll come again stronger for the following race  pic.twitter.com/oHy75S07L3
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) June 6, 2021
Verstappen took the lead after an important sequence of pit stops, Hamilton beginning that sequence on Lap 12 with a gradual swap for hards because of visitors within the pit lane. Verstappen pitted a lap later and emerged first, adopted by Perez who break up the championship rivals.Â
And the Dutchman appeared to have victory within the bag, mastering a Lap 35 Safety Car restart after Lance Stroll`s terrifying accident, when the Aston Martin driver’s left-rear tyre appeared to offer method on the pit straight. That was till Verstappen himself, comfortably within the lead on Lap 47, spun and crashed after an obvious tyre concern of his personal.
Unhurt, however shaken, his crash triggered the Safety Car, which become a crimson flag that suspended the race on Lap 48. The race resumed with a standing begin 35 minutes in a while Lap 50, giving us two laps of flat-out motion, the sphere all having switched tyres throughout the stoppage.
alone race… But glad for the workforce and an enormous congrats to @SChecoPerez on the win The automotive, pit stops and technique have been superb once more, because of @redbullracing. Not rather more to say at the moment apart from we’ll hold pushing till the top  #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/Cwxp76LVZO
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) June 6, 2021
Perez would lead Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly and Leclerc off the road for the re-start. Hamilton bought away effectively, his nostril seemingly forward of Perez`s, however the Briton locked up closely and went into the Turn 1 run-off. He completed sixteenth, leaving Perez within the lead, Vettel second and Gasly – having held off a charging Leclerc within the closing laps – to take the ultimate podium place.
Vettel began eleventh however completed a superb second as he pitted 18 laps later than anybody else, and emerged sixth. On the re-start after Stroll`s crash, he took P4 off Leclerc and Gasly, and was promoted to the rostrum by Verstappen`s retirement.
Leclerc completed fourth as his Lap 10 undercut try on Gasly didn`t repay. While he tried to wrestle P3 off the Frenchman after the ultimate re-start, his efforts have been in useless and the Ferrari driver completed fourth. Lando Norris shrugged off a three-place penalty and undercut his rivals having began P9 to take fifth forward of Fernando Alonso, each movers in that closing re-start, whereas AlphaTauri`s rookie Yuki Tsunoda began seventh and completed there having pitted early on Lap 9.
