F1 GP Azerbaijan: Ricciardo wins, Bottas limits damage for Mercedes, Stroll on the podium

Nothing but Formula-boredom! The Azerbaijan GP it gave emotions like we hadn't seen in a while F1, as well as an out of the ordinary podium. Daniel Ricciardo, who started in tenth position, finished ahead of the Mercedes di Bottas – slipped to the bottom of the grid at the start – and at Williams of a daredevil and very young man Lance stroll – started eighth -, who at just 18 years old is the youngest rookie in the history of the F1 drinking champagne.

And the protagonists of the world championship fight Hamilton e Hag? The two world champions kept everyone in suspense until the end. But they took care of it with a penalty for the German and a problem with the head protection Hamilton, to cut them off from the fight for the podium, with Hag who finished fourth ahead of Hamilton. Ocon, Magnussen, Sainz, Alonso and Wehrlein complete the top ten of this heart-pounding race!

News – It's 17.00pm in Baku: the air temperature is 27°C, the asphalt is 47°C. Grosjean, Ericsson and Vandoorne are on the new soft compound, all the others on the supersoft, used for the top ten, new for the rest of the grid. Hamilton starts from pole and maintains the lead, Bottas is behind him, while the two Ferraris are fighting each other: Vettel immediately gets behind Kimi. In turn 2 the Finn widens to make room for Bottas while he is underneath him, but his compatriot takes the curb badly and crashes into him! Bottas slides back and goes to the pits to replace the damaged wing – he switches to soft and comes in second to last. Raikkonen instead continues, even if he damaged the surface. On lap 1, Hamilton, Vettel, Perez, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Massa, Ocon, Stroll, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg. Spin at the start for Sainz, who tries to avoid his boxmate Kvyat. Pit stop, due to debris on the track, on lap 6 for Ricciardo, who switches to the softs. Vandoorne and Grosjean have already stopped together with the Australian. The incident between Bottas and Kimi at the start was investigated, but with no disciplinary consequences in the end. Palmer's retirement on lap 8. On lap 11 Kvyat's STR12 stops on the track, while Verstappen overtakes Perez and takes third place. But the Dutchman has an engine problem and slows down, passed by Raikkonen, Massa and Ocon. On lap 12 the safety car comes in! Hamilton, Vettel, Perez and Raikkonen in the pits. New pit stop for Bottas. Retirement for Verstappen, due to a drop in oil pressure inside the engine. On lap 14 they all made at least one stop: the first 12 are all on soft, supersoft only for Ricciardo - who stopped again - and the rest of the grid. Behind the safety car: Hamilton, Vettel, Perez, Raikkonen, Massa, Ocon, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Magnussen and Ricciardo.

On lap 17 the safety comes back: Perez immediately gets under Vettel, who holds the position. Raikkonen instead loses two places, passed by Massa and Ocon. But the safety car returns to the track again to allow the debris left on the track by Kimi's red car to be recovered! On lap 19 the safety car returns, after all the cars passed through the pit lane. But on the track there is an argument between Hamilton and Vettel: the German rear-ends the Briton, guilty of braking suddenly, according to Vettel, and then comes alongside him and gives him a spin. The two are placed under investigation. Vettel is attacked by Massa, who has taken the position on Perez and who in turn comes alongside to get under the German. Seb resists, Massa is behind him, but Ocon launches himself onto Perez and again it's a debris festival! Another safety car on the track. Raikkonen meanwhile is on the canvas with his right rear foot, after hitting the debris in front of him.

Ferrari and the two Force Indias are in the pits. Kimi and Perez stop, while Ocon manages to return, 14th, with a set of supersofts. Too much debris on the track: red flag; the race is stopped on lap 22. Everyone in the pit lane. From the investigation into the accident between Vettel and Hamilton, he is the first to pay the price: the German will take 10 seconds of stop&go. After a stop of about fifteen minutes he sets off again. Raikkonen and Perez will manage to rejoin the group, but will both get a penalty drive through, for work on the single-seater carried out in the fast lane during the red flag regime.

On lap 23 we restart behind the safety car. All on supersoft compound, new for Hamilton, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Sainz, Ericsson and Vandoorne. Hulkenberg climbs to fifth place, Magnussen takes Hulkenberg and Massa in one fell swoop; the Brazilian is also passed by Alonso. Williams retired on lap 27, with the shock absorber broken after contact with the barriers. Problems for Hamilton: the head protection begins to come off. Over the radio they tell him to fix it but then the Briton is forced to return to the pits. He returns in ninth place. On lap 34 Vettel returns to the pits to serve his penalty: he returns to the track ahead of Perez and Hamilton. On lap 35, Ricciardo, Stroll, Magnussen, Ocon, Bottas, Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton, Sainz and Grosjean. Ocon takes the position on Magnussen and so does Bottas, fourth. On lap 39: Ricciardo, Stroll, Ocon, Bottas, Vettel, Hamilton, Magnussen, Alonso, Sainz and Ericsson. Bottas takes third place over Ocon. On lap 41 Perez retired. Vettel passes Ocon and climbs to fourth place; Hamilton does the same shortly afterwards. Raikkonen retires on lap 48.

The final battle sees Bottas chasing Stroll and Hamilton chasing Vettel. The checkered flag crowns Ricciardo the winner, followed by Bottas, who manages to pass Stroll on the final straight, the eighteen-year-old Canadian on his first podium in F1!

F1 GP Azerbaijan – Race times and results