At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen confidently prevails – also because Ferrari has major engine problems.
A Ferrari fiasco on the streets of Baku paved the way for Max Verstappen to his fifth Formula 1 win of the season. The world champion extended his championship lead at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday (June 12th, 2022) after Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc had to give up as the front-runner with engine damage.
Second, Sergio Pérez made the third Red Bull double win of the year perfect. They were followed by the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, because Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari also did not reach the finish line due to an early defect.
Leclerc disappointed
“It hurts. We have to look at it to learn from it. It’s totally disappointing. It’s hard to understand.”, Leclerc said after the next major setback in the title race. A driving error in Imola, a broken engine in Barcelona and a strategy breakdown in Monaco had cost him many points recently. In the overall standings, Leclerc fell back to third place and is now 34 points behind Verstappen.
The Dutchman Verstappen increased his tally to 150 points with a superior drive to the 25th win of his career. His team-mate Pérez is now 21 points behind in second.
Sebastian Vettel secured his best result of the season so far with a strong sixth place in the Aston Martin. Mick Schumacher, who had to settle for 14th place in the Haas, experienced another disappointment.
Sainz had to give up first
For the fourth time in a row, Leclerc had placed his Ferrari in first place. However, his pole positions hadn’t brought him any luck in the end. Neither in Miami nor in Barcelona or Monaco could he convert the starting advantage into a win. And this time the lead was quickly gone. Pérez passed Leclerc before the first corner.
Verstappen also got off to a good start, but was no longer able to squeeze past his Ferrari rival. That’s how it went on the first rounds. Verstappen appeared several times in Leclerc’s rear-view mirror, while Pérez managed a small cushion in front.
Sainz then caused the first turbulence. The fourth-placed Spaniard suddenly rolled out in his Ferrari. Diagnosis: hydraulic damage. The virtual safety car briefly slowed down the field for the clean-up work. Leclerc and some other drivers used this for a pit stop.
Next drama for the Scuderia
In contrast, both Red Bull fell by the wayside. Verstappen was allowed to get past Pérez without a fight so as not to lose too much time on Leclerc, who was rushing on with fresh tires. When both Red Bull drivers came to the garage for service, the Ferrari star took the lead.
The next drama for the Scuderia followed a little later: As in Barcelona, smoke rose from Leclerc’s engine. Desperate, the 24-year-old radioed into the pits on lap 20: “The power is gone.” Leclerc dragged himself back into the pit lane at a snail’s pace. The way was finally clear for Red Bull’s next double success.
Vettel misses the curve
The eighth round of the season was hard work for veteran Vettel. Starting from ninth after a strong qualifying session, he was on his way up when he missed the corner during an overtaking manoeuvre. But Vettel kept fighting and used a bold tactic with just one early pit stop. That paid off in the end.
The working day was again frustrating for compatriot Mick Schumacher. As the last player after qualifying, the 23-year-old was hoping for some chaos in order to finally be able to capture his first championship points. He drove at the end of the field without a chance and was unable to counter the recent growing criticism after his series of accidents.