Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on Sunday won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to secure his fifth F1 victory this season.
The Dutch driver finished the eighth round of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship in one hour, 34 minutes and 5 seconds at Baku City Circuit in Baku, the nation’s capital.
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez took second followed by George Russell for Mercedes, who came third in the 51-lap race.
Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc lost the lead at the start but regained it when the leading Red Bull of Max Verstappen pitted on Lap 19. One lap later, Leclerc’s race went up in a puff of smoke and he crawled back to the pits to retire. This would be Ferrari’s second retirement of the race as Carlos Sainz stopped with a hydraulic failure on Lap 9.
Leclerc’s DNF left Verstappen ahead of Sergio Perez (who took fastest lap) in a one-two for Red Bull, with Mercedes driver Russell promoted into the final podium place, having started fifth.
Team mate and Driver of the Day Lewis Hamilton started seventh and finished fourth having pitted during the VSC on Lap 10 and the following one on Lap 34, passing Pierre Gasly 10 laps later with the benefit of newer tyres. The AlphaTauri driver finished fifth having started sixth.
Currently boasting 150 points, Verstappen extended his lead at the top of the standings, while Perez with 129 points is in second place.
Baku was one of only two tracks on the 2022 calendar where Verstappen did not have a career podium finish – the other is Monza.
Leclerc is third with 116 points.
The next race of the 2022 F1 season will be held next Sunday in Montreal, Canada.
Top 5 Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Netherlands): 150 points
2. Sergio Perez (Mexico): 129
3. Charles Leclerc (Monaco): 116
4. George Russell (Great Britain): 99
5. Carlos Sainz (Spain): 83
Top 5 Teams
1. Red Bull: 279
2. Ferrari: 199
3. Mercedes: 161
4. McLaren: 65
5. Alpine Renault: 47
Source: AA, F1
