Resembling something more like a destruction derby than a Formula One race, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was one of the most incident-packed races in recent memory. There we so many crashes that the race had to be stopped half way through so that marshals could sweep up all the broken carbon-fibre littering the 3.7mile (6km) street circuit. Crashes aside Valtteri Bottas put in a stunning performance, racing from last place, and a lap down, to an incredible second place on the podium.
Valtteri’s astonishing comeback was the highlight of the Baku weekender for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Team, after Lewis Hamilton was required to pit from first place to fix his headrest that had worked itself loose.
Valtteri’s sensational recovery drive was encapsulated with a thrilling pass on William’s Lance Stroll right at the very end of the race, as they crossed the line with just 0.105seconds between them. It was a remarkable feat as he was required to pit after the first lap following a collision with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.
Valtteri said: “Today was a crazy race, especially for me. I had a puncture on the first lap after the contact with Kimi. I was a lap down, and then had to overtake the field under the safety car. The second safety car period after that really helped me out and, step by step, I moved forward from there.
“My main goal today was to fight for the win but that went out of the window after the first lap. I was actually last at one point, but I got my head down, gave it absolutely everything and tried to get the absolute maximum out of every single corner. We didn’t quite manage to win but P2 from where we were is a great feeling. Importantly for the team, we scored more points in the fight with Ferrari and I got some good points for myself as well.”
Meanwhile, Lewis was left feeling dejected after battling to fix the headrest in his Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+. At one point, he bravely held on to his steering wheel with one hand, hurtling along at 210mph, and with the other he was trying to slot the headrest back into place. Lewis, who had looked in complete control out in front until that point, was understandably disappointed with finishing in fifth place.
Lewis said: “It’s difficult to swallow a result like this after a strong weekend. I drove my heart out today right to the line – I gave it everything. I know the team will be devastated about the issue with the headrest, but what we have to take away from this weekend is the great performance we have shown. We all feel that pain, but it’s on me to gather my thoughts and try and lead the team through this adversity. We’ll pull together and move forwards. I’m proud of my performance and I hope we can take the speed we’ve shown this weekend forward.”
Lewis was also involved in a confrontation with Sebastian Vettel. The Ferrari driver drove into Lewis while they were behind the safety car when Lewis was warming his brakes and tyres ready for the restart.
Vettel then appeared to ram into Lewis in frustration at the Silver Arrow. Lewis was understandably upset with Vettel’s actions. Lewis added: “I definitely didn’t brake-test Sebastian. I controlled the pace under the safety car and, just like with the other restarts, I slowed down in the same place on the entry to turn 15. At that point, it is up to me to control the pace and then I felt a bump from behind.
“But that wasn’t the issue for me – everybody saw clearly what happened after. All the young kids in other series look up to us, as champions, to set an example and that is not the behaviour you expect to see from a multiple champion. But we know that when times get tough, true colours show, and we have managed to apply some good pressure in the last weeks. Personally, I want to do my talking on the track and win this championship in the right way. More than ever after this weekend, I believe we can.”
Credit:Monster