Max Verstappen won the Azerbaijan Grand after an engine failure on Charles Leclerc's Ferrari and assumed control of the World Championship.
Despite six pole positions in eight races, Leclerc trails Verstappen by 34 points after his. In three Grands Prix, this is the second drivetrain retirement from the lead.
After a hydraulic breakdown, Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz also failed to finish, adding to the perception that Ferrari's season is unravelling after such a promising start.
Red Bull's Verstappen and Sergio Perez finished one-two, while Mercedes' George Russell finished third, with teammate Lewis Hamilton fighting back to finish fourth.
Result of the entire race
Hamilton and Vettel will keep speaking out.
After trailing Russell, Mercedes's boss defends Hamilton.' It's pretty significant.' After a strong start, Perez dived for the inside into Turn One, and Leclerc soon lost the advantage he had won with a stunning pole position run.
Verstappen put pressure on the Ferrari, but the Italian was able to hold him off until a virtual safety car period on lap nine, prompted by Sainz parked in a run-off area.
Ferrari took the opportunity to pit for fresh tires, whereas Red Bull did not, in the hopes of propelling Leclerc into the lead, which he did a few circuits later.
Following Leclerc's pit stop, Verstappen quickly moved in on Perez and passed him for the lead on lap 15, after the Mexican was ordered "no fighting." On the next lap, Perez halted, followed by Verstappen two laps later.
Following the pit stops of the Red Bull drivers, the race appeared to be boiled down to whether Leclerc, in the lead, could fend off the Red Bulls, who would have a significant grip advantage.
A second virtual safety car would have added to the intrigue if Kevin Magnussen's Haas had experienced an engine problem in his Ferrari. I'm more than annoyed. "Says, Leclerc." We weren't powerful at the start of the first stint, but I was catching up to Checo. Pitting was, in my opinion, the best option. We were in the lead, and I was doing an excellent job with the tires. We only needed to keep track of the tires until the end, and we were in the best position. Another no-show. It's excruciating.
It's pretty significant. Right now, I'm speechless. It's simply a massive letdown, and I'm hoping we can bounce back and get on top of things. The comeback of Hamilton
Russell had a lonely race, finishing fourth when Sainz retired and third after Leclerc retired to maintain his distinction of being the only driver in his first year with Mercedes to finish in the top five in every race. Under the first virtual safety car,
When Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin drove wide trying to pass Esteban Ocon's Alpine, Hamilton inherited the position, passing a few circuits later.
Despite passing both Yuki Tsunoda's Alpha Tauris and Pierre Gasly, Hamilton achieved a well-deserved victory. The two Mercedes cars came to a halt, and Hamilton's little delay, which forced him to wait behind his teammate, dropped him to 11th place. Despite claiming that the car's bouncing on the straights was "hurting my back," Hamilton had to overcome both Yuki Tsunoda's Alpha Tauris and Pierre Gasly to take a well-deserved victory.
Vettel, Alpine's Fernando Alonso, the McLarens of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris - who were alongside for much of the race on different strategies and had a bit of radio needle as to who should be allowed to pass who - and Ocon finished fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively.
So, what's next?
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