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Two weeks after the conclusion of the Chinese Grand Prix, the teams arrive in Azerbaijan. Three races from the start of the Championship, the standings see Lewis Hamilton leading the drivers' battle with sixty-eight points, six more than his teammate, while the Ferrari drivers are outside the top three. Mercedes also dominates the constructors' standings, but in this case Ferrari’s right behind, while Red Bull is third with only fifty-two points. The Chinese Grand Prix was significant for some teams, as it was in fact the first weekend completed by both Ricciardo and Sainz, and the first without any retirements for Haas. Unlike the drastic gap between the top teams, the competition is still very open in the midfield and the points collected by each team vary from four to twelve, except for Williams that has not yet managed to bring home the first points of the season, given the great difficulties they are facing. Baku is a street circuit, so not one of the easiest considering some very narrow sections and therefore also the high risk of accidents – for instance, the disastrous weekend of Red Bull in 2018 and Vettel's missed victory, or the accident between the Ferrari driver and Hamilton the year before. In short, it's common knowledge that this is a circuit where rationality must rule. Ferrari has to be careful not only because they have never won at this particular track, but also because they cannot afford a fourth Mercedes one-two if they are intent on winning the championship. Sebastian Vettel is aware of the difficulties, and introduces the circuit this way:
"This circuit has a 2.2-kilometre-long section to do in full throttle where we reach 360 km/h before the very demanding braking of the first left-hand corner. The steep slope around the old city walls is only seven meters wide, which seems even less in a Formula 1 car. You feel like you have to thread a needle. There's not enough room for two single-seaters at that point, so if you're duelling with another driver, it's best to agree on who should pass first. One of the challenges in Baku is finding the right balance in terms of downforce: you need to be able to cope well with the slow corners but you also need to be very fast on the straights. It is not an easy compromise to find".
For Leclerc, on the other hand, this circuit is full of positive memories, from the victory in Formula 2, after the death of his father, to the magnificent sixth position with Alfa Romeo the year before. The Monegasque is therefore quite optimistic about the weekend:
"Azerbaijan is one of my favourite circuits, I love it and I have always done very well here: a win and a podium in Formula 2, and my first points in Formula 1 last year. I really like the track, especially the old castle part with that series of tight corners. It is a very unique track with no equal in the world. The rule is quite simple: never lose concentration, because one mistake and you’ll find yourself against the wall. The Baku track is challenging, but I'm looking forward to the race".
The Monegasque, talking about the recent team orders, warns:
"There will always be such orders in Formula 1. Will I continue to obey? It depends on the situations, in some cases I will".
Leclerc does not hide his disappointment with what happened in China, where he had to hand his third place to Vettel, even acknowledging the team's good reasons:
"When you're in the car and they ask you to let another driver pass, it's really frustrating. It obviously is for everyone in similar situations, it wasn't just for me. On the other hand, though, I understood their motivations, they had more data on the wall than I had in the car. We'll see what happens in the future".
And he adds:
"Obviously, Sebastian is now in his fifth year with Ferrari and he has won four world titles in the past. On the other hand, I have just arrived here and this is only my second season in Formula 1. I still have to prove so many things, and it’s up to me to do the best possible job when I'm in the car, so I can show the team what I'm capable of. At the moment, I think I just have to keep doing what I'm doing, trying to improve race after race hoping that things will change soon".
Sebastian Vettel quicky intervenes to extinguish any kind of controversy, admitting:
"There is no turbulence inside Ferrari. We want to achieve the best possible results and we can control everything except the rumours. The important thing is that they do not reflect negatively on the team. It seems to me that this has not happened so far, and I am calm. Our priority is to score as many points as possible. I understand that it is easy to criticize the decisions of the race wall, and it is even easier after the Grand Prix. Making those decisions during the race is a little more complicated. Charles has the same passion as me. Obviously, everyone wants to succeed and some team radios clearly sound impatient. However, we must not forget that we are on track at 300 km/h in a race car, not sitting on the couch with a drink in our hands. If we communicated in a relaxed manner, people might even think we don’t care. Emotions are a significant part of this sport".
Mattia Binotto is more technical and critical about the situation:
"Coming from three races in which we did not achieve the expected result, this Grand Prix is once again very important for us. We have prepared as best we can, analyzing all the data available so far, trying to identify areas of improvement and to adapt our set-up and power unit management to the characteristics of the track. Baku has a very long straight, where the engine is particularly stressed both for the heat engine and for the hybrid part. Overtaking here is quite easy, also thanks to the DRS effect, more powerful than in the past. The asphalt is very smooth, so tire wear tends to be scarce and since the level of energy transferred to the tires is low, heating them up is difficult. Experience has taught us that, in Baku, the probability of seeing the Safety Car in action is high, and this is an important element to consider in the race strategy. We will bring some updates that represent a first step in the direction of the SF90's development".
There is no denying this circuit offers many emotions, both negative and positive; if we look back at the past, we can recall the podiums achieved by Stroll and Perez, but also several defeats, like Vettel or Red Bull’s, as mentioned earlier, or the accidents in which Magnussen got involved. Unpredictability rules the day. Giovinazzi, like Leclerc, also has good memories on this circuit, such as his GP2 victories in 2016. Moreover, this is the first race in Baku for the Italian as a Formula 1 driver, and he cannot hide his excitement. Despite the great start of the season, Mercedes is always cautious, and they feel concerned about Ferrari's speed, especially on this circuit. Hamilton also talks about the difficulties they had in the first weekends (undetected from the outside, given the three double wins), and about Ferrari's potential:
"Working with the car has not been that easy so far. It's always a combination of factors. Every year you have to know how to manage the tires, and this year it seems a little more complicated than in 2018. However, we always struggle at the beginning of the season. I don't think we will have any updates this weekend: we have something planned but not for this race. We realized a lot about our strengths and weaknesses over the last weekend. Ferrari is very fast on the straights, so I anticipate they will be very strong this weekend".
On the other hand, Bottas does not have good memories on this track. Just last year, he was deprived of victory because of a puncture, and he comes back with a bigger goal now: leading the Championship. The driver is very focused:
"We are happy with our start, but we are not invincible. The season is still long and we must not underestimate anything. The results have given us great confidence, and we will try to continue in this direction also in Azerbaijan".
He also comments on Ferrari's performance:
"Our car, at the moment, cannot compete with Ferrari on the straights. The weekend in Baku will be complicated for us. We will try to focus on our qualities after pushing a lot in this start of the championship, due to the difficulties encountered in the Barcelona tests. It usually takes some time to Mercedes to come out".
Free practice on Friday will give us an idea of this weekend’s course, where everybody expects an answer from Ferrari after a poor start. Friday's free practice does not start in the best way. The session is interrupted shortly after its beginning when George Russell raises a manhole cover of the circuit that was not properly fixed, thus causing pretty severe damages on the bottom of his car. The session is cancelled to give the stewards some time to check all the three hundred manhole covers on the street circuit, repair the one in question and clean the track removing the oil. This inconvenience certainly does not help the teams, especially Williams, which is facing great difficulties – technically but also economically, and, given the damage, it will require several spare parts. Moreover, Russell will not be able to participate in the second session of the afternoon. Fortunately, the Briton is fine and unharmed:
"I hit a manhole cover, I'm fine but the single-seater suffered serious damage. It is an incredibly unfortunate episode".
The accident certainly does not put the FIA in a good light, as their job is to ensure total safety on the circuit before a race. This is not even the first case of a flying manhole cover: in 2016, in Monaco, Jenson Button was almost hit by one. The British driver luckily escaped unharmed. In 2010, Barrichello was victim of the same episode on the same track, as well as Romain Grosjean in Sepang, in 2017. In short, embarrassing episodes considering the entity in question, that make the paddock turn up its nose. The reaction of a personally involved Claire Williams is eloquent:
"This is not acceptable. This is not how Formula 1 tracks should be".
Even Kimi Raikkonen, who is known for not talking much, exclaims in this circumstance:
"It was obviously far from ideal for everyone and we looked like amateurs today. It should not be like that. It's up to the FIA to make sure the track is up to code. It seems like every year some drainage hole comes loose or something slips. Thankfully no one was hurt, but it ruined everyone's day".
As if that was not enough, on the way back to the pits, the crane that was transporting the British driver's Williams hit a bridge: some liquid came out of it and it flooded the car. Williams’ press office will communicate after the episode:
"George's car will require a chassis change due to the damage. Therefore, due to regulations, he will not be able to run until Saturday's FP3".
Even in the afternoon, the first day of free practice is not satisfying, despite being fundamental, because it allowed the teams to collect all the data and information needed for the race on Sunday. The second session is interrupted several times due to multiple yellow flags and two neutralizations following the red flag. The first stop is caused by Lance Stroll going off-track after hitting the barriers in turn 2, while the second one, with less than thirty minutes to go, is caused by Toro Rosso’s driver Kvyat, who loses control in turn 7, he hits the barriers and his brakes go on fire. Charles Leclerc, who set a time of 1'48"343 in the few minutes of the first session, sets the best time of 1'42"872 in the afternoon. Sebastian Vettel follows with 1'43"196. These results say that Ferrari has a good chance in the race, even though Mercedes shows an excellent race pace. The Monegasque driver admits:
"We put a lot of effort in FP2 mainly because we didn't have enough time to do so many laps in FP1. However, they helped us understand that the updates brought seem to be positive. I don't want to say anything more because Mercedes also appeared very competitive, especially on the race pace. Tomorrow we will see where we are".
And then he adds:
"Today, it’s been difficult for us to understand our exact setup for the race. Sebastian and I found a lot of traffic, but there is no reason to think that when you are strong in qualifying configuration, you are not strong in race configuration. Let's hope it will be the same this weekend. The slipstream effect here? It's hard to know how fast the ones in front are going: the important thing will be to be free in the second sector, where you can waste a lot of time, but, if we found someone in qualifying, it would be better".
Despite the excellent chronometric performance, Ferrari is trying to keep a low profile, because the Mercedes’ were very fast in the race pace simulation on Medium tyres. Aware of the superiority of Mercedes but not worried by the excellent race pace of Hamilton and Bottas, Sebastian Vettel admits:
"It was a difficult Friday and the track was very slippery. It was fun though, and the car worked well, although I think we can still improve something. Overall, I'm happy with our starting point, we hope we will be very close to Mercedes tomorrow. They also seemed very strong, but we probably showed something more...".
Sebastian Vettel admits, who while acknowledging the superiority of the Mercedes, is not worried by the excellent race pace of Hamilton and Bottas:
"We haven't looked in depth yet: we thought more about ourselves and the feeling with the car. But, as said, Mercedes will be the car to beat this weekend. The Red Bulls also seemed fast at times. We'll see what happens in qualifying. Our main worry was finding the rhythm and the confidence behind the wheel, because of the high-speed braking, the few reference points and a lot of bumps on the asphalt. It's very easy to go long, so it will be crucial to have a good driving feeling. We are working precisely for this".
Hamilton is 669 tenths of a second behind. The driver splitting the two Mercedes’ is Verstappen, pushing Bottas into fifth, over a second behind the Monegasque. Despite Kvyat's accident, the Toro Rosso team can be satisfied, placing both cars in the top ten: sixth position for the Russian and eighth for rookie Alex Albon. At the end of practice, Lewis Hamilton comments:
"It was a bit of a strange day. However, FP2 went well, I felt comfortable in the car, more than I did last year. The Ferraris are clearly very fast and they seem to be ahead of us, so we will have to work out where we lose out to them. It's unlikely we'll make up seven tenths overnight, but we'll do everything we can to push the car in the right direction. Our race pace seemed stronger than our qualifying pace, so it could be a good fight tomorrow".
In fact, during the night, a technician from the factory will arrive in Baku, with the task of giving the right indications to modify the suspension set-up, after carrying out some simulations. The Anglo-German cars proved to be competitive on Medium tires, in the first part of the session. A system that simulates four-wheel steering will also be tested on these cars. Meanwhile though, Valtteri Bottas also agrees with what his teammate said:
"Since we only run FP2, we tried to maximize our track time, adding a few laps to our original plan. I'm not satisfied with the laps I did, but finding the pace in Baku is complicated and it takes some time. It was not easy to get the Medium tyre up to temperature today, but tomorrow should be better. The long runs seemed good, although Ferrari seems really strong, especially on the flying lap. It will be a tough fight tomorrow".
Max Verstappen, who complained about a pedal problem during the session, will be the only driver to counter Ferrari and Mercedes, as Pierre Gasly runs into a penalty that will compromise his race. The Frenchman in fact commits the most trivial of mistakes, since he didn’t stop at the traffic light that the race direction showed him in FP2 to call him in for some technical checks.
"I pushed to the limit and the conditions were quite difficult especially under braking. I ended up twice in the runoffs because I tried to go a bit further, but the feeling with the car seems to be improving and I must say I'm pretty happy. In the qualifying simulation I messed up a bit, but I think we can do better tomorrow if we can put together a good lap time. We are improving all the time, even though Ferrari is clearly very fast in the straights, much faster than us. But we'll see what happens in qualifying. As I said, the car is strong in race pace and this is a very positive aspect".
Virtually lost the only hope in Red Bull, Max Verstappen also speaks positively about the new Honda power unit:
"The track was very slippery and it was very easy to make blockages or go wide. We simply tried to do a lot of laps to get used to the circuit and to these conditions. It wasn't too bad, there is some work to do but no big drama. Sometimes you get a better start, sometimes the first few laps are not great. The new engine? For the moment it works very well. But we still have to analyze all the data collected".
On Saturday morning, the drivers go on track for the third free practice session. After a difficult first day, the teams are determined to collect the missing data in order to be prepared for qualifying and the race. It seems that Leclerc's chain of positive results on this circuit will continue: in fact, the Monegasque driver once again sets the best time, with a lap time of 1'41"604 that improves his previous one on Friday. He is followed by his teammate, a few tenths slower, while Max Verstappen surprisingly climbs to third position; the gap to the Monegasque is much higher, though: more than a second. Mercedes’ performance is even more surprising: fourth and fifth place, with Bottas 1.4 seconds behind, and Hamilton 1.6 seconds away. Once again, Toro Rosso confirms their car is competitive, with their two drivers in sixth and eighth position. After missing the afternoon session on Friday, George Russell is back on track with a new ECU and a new battery fitted on his Williams. Romain Grosjean stays in the garage for a long time due to a power unit problem. Ferrari definitely has a good chance to win: from the free practice it seems that they have great potential, and the gap from the others is clear. But the result is still uncertain, since in Bahrain we saw an absolute Ferrari domination and then they lacked reliability in the race, and also in China there were good chances but with the same outcome: Mercedes one-two. Therefore, the expectations are high, as well as the desire to see Ferrari on the highest step of the podium. All eyes are now on qualifying: will Ferrari be able to secure the first row? Baku is an unpredictable track. All the drivers go out right from the start of Q1, except for Red Bull, the only team waiting. Lance Stroll and Lewis Hamilton cause the first neutralizations: the former is forced to pit for a tire change, while the latter takes advantage of the escape route on the outside of a corner. Hulkenberg instead is in trouble: after causing a neutralization towards the middle of the session, he pits, compromising his hopes of qualifying for Q2.
In fact, although he tries another lap, the German Renault driver doesn't make it to Q2. The first positions are fought between the two rivals: Ferrari and Mercedes. Vettel's time of 1'42"348 is passed by Bottas, and then further improved by Charles Leclerc, with a time of 1'41"426. The Red Bulls get on track later in the session, and, while Gasly sets an excellent first time that takes him to the sixth position, Verstappen is outside the top ten. In his second attempt, the French Red Bull driver seems very competitive, and he takes the lead – a tenth faster than Leclerc – taking advantage of a slipstream in the last sector, while Verstappen improves and moves up to fourth position. A few minutes before the end of Q1, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Hulkenberg and the two Williams are the drivers at risk. The Australian is the only one able to improve, even though he just advances one position, passing Stroll. Renault disappoints more and more, after looking like one of the strongest teams in 2018, so much so that it pushed one of the most desirable drivers on the market to join the team, while this year they have collected four retirements and anonymous qualifications. A worse fate awaits Williams: the historic English team is facing great difficulties, and this weekend does not seem to be on their side. During free practice, one of the cars was heavily damaged by a manhole cover, and then, at the end of Q1, Kubica loses his car crashing into the wall in turn 8, at the castle sector. But, as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining, and in fact Williams Racing has a truce, as the team has signed a partnership agreement with the Financial Times newspaper. The start of Q2 is postponed by fifteen minutes in order to proceed with the removal of Kubica's single-seater and the repair of the barriers. The drivers get on track, Hamilton and Bottas fighting for pole position: the Finn manages to beat his teammate by a few thousandths, but the moment of glory does not last long as Verstappen sets the best time, in 1'41"388.
Vettel's first time is not great and he is excluded from the top ten, along with Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Giovinazzi and Gasly, while Leclerc is fifth. Gasly does not set any time during the session, due to his penalty, while Raikkonen reaches the sixth position, before a second red flag: seven minutes before the end of Q2 another incident at turn 8 halts the session. This time Leclerc is the victim, because of a naive mistake: he takes the corner too fast, extending the braking point, and – instead of choosing the escape route to stop the car – he crashes into the barriers, also due to the shadow that in the meantime has settled on the track compromising the temperature of the asphalt and the tires, and the choice of qualifying with Medium tires that, in these particular conditions, become extremely slippery.
"I'm stupid. I'm stupid".
The time set before the incident secured him the fifth row, but, what about pole now? The young Leclerc has indeed dominated throughout free practice, showing a lot of potential and speed, but unfortunately the eagerness got the better of him. It is all up to Vettel now. The restart of Q2 is scheduled after fifteen minutes, to give the stewards time to clear the track, thus offering another chance to the drivers who are not in the top ten (Albon, Vettel, Ricciardo and Giovinazzi). Excluding Verstappen, already safe in first position, the first six drivers wait to re-join, while those occupying the positions from seventh to fifteenth immediately take to the track. Vettel improves to seventh. Magnussen and Ricciardo do not improve. With only one attempt left, also the first drivers get back on track, but they do not make any progress, so that Vettel moves up to fifth position, and Giovinazzi to ninth, excluding Norris. However, a few moments later, the Briton sets a new time that allows him to climb back up to eighth position. Magnussen doesn't improve as he goes wide coming out of a corner; Ricciardo cancels his lap going back to the pits; Kvyat and Albon hit the wall. Therefore Sainz, Ricciardo, Albon and Magnussen are excluded from Q3. Giovinazzi reaches Q3 for the first time in his career, but he will be given a ten-position penalty due to the replacement of the engine control unit of his Alfa Romeo. As Leclerc is excluded after his accident, only nine drivers reach Q3 – rookie Lando Norris being once again one of them. Verstappen is the first to hit the track during Q3, while the rest of the grid waits one more minute. The Red Bull driver sets the best time of 1'41"447, but the first position is soon taken away from him by Hamilton and Bottas, while Vettel misses the provisional pole by only four tenths, joining the five-time World Champion. The Dutchman makes a second attempt with clear track ahead, but he misses the pole by three tenths and thus ends his qualifying. With two minutes to go, the remaining eight drivers try one last lap. The two Mercedes’ are already fighting in the out lap, with Hamilton complaining. Vettel sets the best time in the first sector, and Bottas also improves unlike his teammate Hamilton. The second sector is in favour of the British driver, immediately back in contention for pole. At the end of their laps, Vettel crosses the finish line with the second-best time, narrowly missing the pole position. Bottas sets instead the best time of 1'40"495, beating Hamilton by a few thousandths. The Finn takes his second consecutive pole of the season, and the front row is once again silver. Verstappen will start alongside Vettel, and the two drivers will be followed by Perez, Kvyat, Norris and the Alfa Romeos of Giovinazzi and Raikkonen. Bottas seems stronger than ever, and, as soon as Hamilton earns points on him, he immediately bounces back.
"I'm very happy, it's a great feeling. I had a good last lap. Ferrari was very strong, but Charles made a mistake and he was eliminated from qualifying. We did a great pole as a team after a difficult free practice. It's all about small margins here. I was able to take advantage of the slipstream, but even the corners make a difference here. It's all about improving the details, and I was able to make the most of them. Temperature? Yes, it was a problem. You shouldn't run so late. However, I somehow managed to make the tires work".
Hamilton starts behind his teammate for the second time, congratulating the Finnish driver, and also making comments on Ferrari:
"It’s been a very complicated weekend for us, with the Ferraris looking incredibly fast. Valtteri did an exceptional job but it's an extraordinary result for us. We arrived here without any updates, while the other teams brought some. Ferrari looked very fast but, in the end, we monopolized the front row, again. It will be a good fight tomorrow. I hope to keep the Ferraris behind. In terms of pace, we were closer than it seemed in qualifying. I don't know if Sebastian did a great lap or not, maybe he didn't find the right space, and slipstreams make the difference here. Valtteri is always strong in Baku, and I will have a lot to do to beat him".
Vettel only starts in the second row: maybe the Ferrari driver decided not to risk, or maybe Leclerc's accident slowed him down. But what is clear is the fact that once again Ferrari does not stand out.
"I don't know if they took the pole away from us, they seemed faster than us at the end. I didn’t start well but I did better towards the end. The session was long and complicated, with the temperature dropping a lot and the sun going down. Finding the balance was difficult, as well as finding the slipstreams on the final lap. I had no slipstream in the last attempt and I think it cost me the final gap. On the one hand, I'm happy because I did the best I could, but on the other I'm not because, as a team, we expected more from Charles and myself. Slipstreams depend on the situation. Having someone ahead in the final sector by two or three tenths can help you, even if it becomes difficult in the middle sector. In hindsight, I could have taken the chance to go out with someone in front".
Leclerc finds himself in ninth position due to his mistake in Q2, but taking something for granted is always dangerous:
"I realized the mistake too late. I locked up the car, and when I realized it, I had no more solutions, just the wall in front. I was stupid, and I'm sorry because the whole world is watching and I cannot make these mistakes anymore. The responsibility is totally mine. I ruined everything while we had high hopes. I hope to sleep on it and recover in the race, to come back stronger and go beyond this episode".
As said, the Baku circuit is very unpredictable, characterized by narrow passages, and the safety car usually makes its entrance on the track. For this reason, it is impossible to predict the race result: anything can happen. It is not by chance that it is considered a track that favours rookies. The start requires a lot of attention since a good initial push can be fundamental, so it is not time to give up yet. As luck would have it, the young driver from Monaco moves up one more position, as the starting grid changes due to all the penalties assigned, such as the one inflicted to Kimi Raikkonen, who will start from the pit lane together with Kubica and Gasly, due to the bending of his Alfa Romeo's front wing that goes beyond the five millimetres allowed by the regulations. As always, in the first row we find the Mercedes’, with Valtteri Bottas on pole; Sebastian Vettel will start from the third position, flanked by Max Verstappen; Perez and Kvyat make the fourth row, Norris and Leclerc are right behind them, while Sainz and Ricciardo close the top ten, with the latter improving positions after the penalties. The places from eleventh to seventeenth are occupied by Alexander Albon, Kevin Magnussen, Lance Stroll, Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg, George Russell and Antonio Giovinazzi, who drops ten places on the grid. Kubica, Gasly and Raikkonen will start from the pit lane.
At the end of qualifying, Max Verstappen admits he is surprised by the competitiveness of his Red Bull:
"We are positively surprised because we were competitive in qualifying and the second row is not bad at all. Everything was going smoothly, but then in Q3 we chose a different strategy as I only had one set of fresh tires. However, doing the lap alone, with no slipstream, is very negative on this track and I practically lost two and a half tenths only on the straight comparing the time in Q3 with the ones I did in Q2. Anyway, I gave it everything I had and I think the last attempt was very good. We could have been fighting for pole if we had been in a little train of cars, but at least we know that the car works well. Races here are always crazy, and they are not over after turn 1. We are all very close and we can still fight for the win".
At the end of qualifying Pierre Gasly is excluded from the time list. His car exceeded the fuel consumption limit of 100 kg/hour in the fastest lap that allowed him to set the best time in Q1. It does not affect his starting position, as he was forced to start from the pit lane anyway. However, after the disqualifications and penalties on Friday, the French driver is aware of having a good car and being able to attempt a comeback, even starting from the pit lane:
"Finishing Q1 in first position was nice but, knowing that we would start from the pit lane, the most important thing was to find the right feeling with the car even with little fuel. I felt really good probably for the first time this year, so I'm happy. We are going in the right direction, and I'm working to reach my best step by step. Honestly, we didn't expect to be so competitive as we still haven’t pushed the new power unit to the maximum to save it as much as possible. In the end, our performance was encouraging and I'm happy that Max was able to get a good result in Q3. The car is good, we can recover and bring home some big points".
On Sunday, April 28th, 2019, the lights turn off and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix begins. Lewis Hamilton makes a great start, and he immediately finds himself wheel to wheel with his teammate in turn 1, while in the rear Alex Albon touches the barriers with his right rear wheel, even though his race proceeds without any particular problems. Bottas wins the clash and keeps the lead, and Vettel is also very good at resisting Verstappen's attacks, who loses the fourth position to Perez. Leclerc, due to the choice to start on Medium tyres, does not have a great start and drops to tenth place, behind Norris, Kvyat, Sainz and Ricciardo. Verstappen doesn't give up and passes the Mexican driver on the straight taking advantage of the DRS, while Leclerc attempts a comeback. The Monegasque passes Ricciardo first and then Kvyat, who also loses his position on Sainz Jr., dropping to eighth place. Shortly after, Perez overtakes Verstappen again: Racing Point seems to have a competitive car as Stroll also overtakes Ricciardo's Renault. Leclerc gains more and more ground and overtakes also Sainz Jr., while Kvyat seems to be in trouble and loses two more positions on Ricciardo and his teammate Alex Albon. The Russian driver is the first to pit to mount Medium tires: only five race laps and his Soft tires are clearly worn. During the sixth lap, Raikkonen makes a pit stop as well. In the meantime, Verstappen doesn't give up and he overtakes Perez on the inside, moving back in front. The Dutchman, however, has to start worrying about Leclerc, who overtakes Norris on the straight and, on lap seven, he also passes the Mexican driver. While duels animate the back of the field, at the front of the race the positions are unchanged and Bottas extends his gap by three seconds over Hamilton and by seven over Vettel. Pierre Gasly also makes a great comeback, moving up behind Albon, in twelfth position, in just seven laps. His run-up continues: the Frenchman overtakes Ricciardo and shortly after he manages to overtake Stroll as well, reaching the eighth position in just ten laps.
On lap nine, Leclerc, faster than the drivers on Soft tyres, also gets the better of Verstappen, taking fourth place. On lap ten, Pérez, Stroll and Ricciardo switch to Medium tyres, followed by Sebastian Vettel one lap later. The German re-joins the track in fifth position, just ahead of Sainz Jr. Bottas pits as well, also mounting Medium tires, to re-join the race ahead of Vettel, right behind Hamilton, Leclerc and Verstappen (all three have not pitted yet). On lap 13, Hamilton switches to Medium tires, allowing Leclerc to take the lead of the race since he drops fourth place. In the meantime, Robert Kubica receives a drive-through penalty, for leaving the pit-lane too early at the start. On lap 14, Verstappen is the first Red Bull driver to stop, two laps after Hamilton, and the Dutchman drops to sixth, behind Gasly. Among the first four drivers, Leclerc is the only one yet to stop, creating a gap of thirteen seconds on Bottas. In the midfield, Norris gains ground and gets ahead of Grosjean, one of the few who has not changed his tires yet because he is on a different strategy. In fact, together with the Haas Frenchman, Leclerc, Gasly, Russell and Kubica started on Medium tires. The more laps pass, the more the group on new tires reduces the gap. Grosjean, under pressure from Ricciardo, makes a mistake and loses six positions, while the two Mercedes’ are closing in on Leclerc, with Bottas going from a gap of over eight seconds to just over four in three laps, while Vettel doesn't lose too much contact. The wheels are more and more worn and after thirty-two laps the group behind Leclerc closes the gap, with Bottas taking advantage of it by taking the lead. On the following lap, also Hamilton passes the Ferrari driver. In the meantime, Ricciardo tries to overtake Kvyat, but the Australian goes wide ending in the escape route and so does Kvyat, who stops exactly perpendicular to the Renault driver. As if that wasn't enough, Ricciardo does not notice the presence of the Russian driver's car, not being able to see properly through the rear-view mirrors, and he hits the side of the Toro Rosso while trying to exit the runway in reverse. The two drivers return to the track, but the cars are seriously damaged, and Ricciardo is forced to retire for the third time, followed by Kvyat a few laps later. Meanwhile, Leclerc loses another position, due to a never-ending wait for the pit stop: the Monegasque loses more and more ground and chances to fight for the victory. What strategy does Ferrari have in mind? Also Vettel overtakes him, while Leclerc is told on the radio to hold on:
"The pit will be soon, but we don't think the softs will last, so we have to keep these tyres a little longer".
Charles Leclerc finally pits on lap 35, returning to the track in sixth place, just behind Gasly, whose times are still good, despite having worn tires. Ferrari, though, takes advantage of its powerful engine and the Monegasque overtakes the Frenchman on the straight. Unfortunately for Gasly, he seems to have no respite: after starting from the pit lane, despite a fantastic comeback, the car slows down. With only eleven laps to go, the Red Bull driver's car starts to slow down near turn 5, completely stopping in the escape lane. Although the car is safe, the race is neutralized with the virtual safety car, so overtakes are forbidden. During lap 38, Grosjean retires as well due to some brake problems, for a total of four retirements. When the race restarts, Hamilton closes the gap on his teammate with five laps to go, putting pressure on Bottas, but the Finn does everything to keep him out of reach of the DRS, defending his position. With just under three laps to go, Charles Leclerc pits to put on a new set of Soft tires, going for a fast lap time, without compromising his race position. In the meantime, Lewis enters the DRS zone and sets the best time, but he makes a mistake and gives Bottas the chance to extend the gap. The race leader takes advantage of the slipstream of Russell's Williams - lapped - to set the fastest lap, moving away from his pursuer, but Leclerc improves his time, gaining the additional point. Bottas crosses the finish line in first place, taking his second win of the season, while Lewis Hamilton is forced to settle for second place. Once again everything worked perfectly for Bottas, Hamilton and Mercedes. The German team conquers the fourth consecutive one-two finish, breaking William’s record after equalling it in the previous weekend.
This kind of podium is becoming a habit, a copy/paste in which the drivers only exchange the first two positions. Hats off to Valtteri Bottas, who proves once again he has what it takes to counter Lewis Hamilton’s speed, and conquers pole position and first place, moving ahead by just one point in the world ranking. Perhaps, the Finnish driver has been misjudged too early: the only hope now is that this continuous exchange of positions at the top of the standings will go on for the whole season, so that the championship outcome is at least in doubt until the end, because Ferrari is not competitive enough for now. There is a Ferrari on the podium, but once again, after dominating in free practice, they did not show a good level of performance in the race, and whether it is a driver error or a strategy error, the result is always the same. If the goal is winning the championship they must act immediately, and do not wait until mid-season, because the gap from Mercedes is seventy-four points. It is always the same scenario: Mercedes in front and the others in pursuit. A more than deserved victory for Valtteri Bottas, who had to counter the attacks of his teammate:
"It was a difficult race, because Lewis kept on putting pressure on me. I didn't make any mistakes, and the situation was under control, but I'm happy I got to see the chequered flag. The level of our performance is incredible. I'm happy for everyone, we're doing great. Maybe I was a bit too cautious at the start to avoid the skidding I had in China, while Lewis started well and so we found ourselves side by side in Turn 1 and Turn 2. It was a nice and respectful competition between us, though, and in the end, it went well for me. Of course, a victory always helps: I do have confidence, but victories obviously improve it. Winning was important. Now I'm leading the championship again and this is the position in the standings that I want to maintain. I'm enjoying this moment, winning a race is a good feeling. Lewis tried everything to catch me at the end and he had a good pace, but I managed not to make any mistakes, which makes me happy. The current level of our team is impressive".
When the lights went out, Lewis tried to overtake his teammate at the first corner, but the Finn managed to contain the attack. Many felt that the overtake failed due to Valtteri's strenuous defence, but Hamilton disagrees, and explains:
"It was not a strong defence from him, but rather a weak attack from me: I was far too gentle, and I kind of let him win. He did everything well in qualifying while I didn't and, in the race, he drove flawlessly, deserving the result. I struggled a bit in this race, it wasn't one of my best this season. I simply struggle here. Considering all that, it was a great performance for the team and a good result for me. Valtteri did a great job this weekend and he deserved the win. I had more pace at the end, but it was too late, and I had more problems than the other drivers anyway. I can't point them out exactly, in some tracks it's just like that".
Then, talking about the team, the Briton admits:
"What makes us strong is the teamwork. This team is stronger than ever because everyone is working well together, and both drivers are pushing the car to the limits. Every weekend they give their all and so does the team: pit stops, engineers, designers, the development in the factory. I have never seen the team as strong as it is now".
On Friday, it looked like it would be the perfect weekend for Ferrari, but the outcome of qualifying was decisive:
"Considering how Ferrari started, we thought we were closer, and we didn't expect to be dominating. If we look at the data, Sebastian had pole in his hand: if he had put together his best sectors, he would have been first. And if Leclerc had been there too, it could have been a Ferrari front row, and the race would have been different. But then, unfortunately for them, we got great results".
Ferrari is looking on the bright side, and, as President John Elkann says, it was one of their drivers who achieved the fastest lap. They brought home the consolation prize, in short.
"Mercedes is stronger and luckier but we did the fastest lap today. The mood in Ferrari is positive. There is a great desire to win and the championship is still long. Forza Ferrari".
Binotto, on the other hand, speaks from a technical point of view, sending his compliments to Leclerc, who had a good pace and drove a good race:
"It is not surprising that they are strong, we knew it since the Barcelona tests, and we said it again and again. However, these were not the expectations coming here to Baku. Yesterday, in qualifying, the car could have done better than it did; we could have started in front but we started behind, and made it difficult for ourselves to make a comeback. Then, we must admit we did not get lucky: we were hoping for some Safety Car but it did not happen. Anyway, at the end of the day, they were fast, and we never had the pace, not even with Sebastian. We just need to analyse the data and try to improve. Having two cars on the front row would help, also for the use of tires, while being in the fray always makes it more difficult. We saw it with Hamilton's difficulties in trying to attack Bottas, but it is the same for everyone: being behind is harder, and, even when overtaking is easy, starting in front makes is better. Now we have to go on as usual, try to understand our weaknesses and go further. We will have to make choices and push on development, but this is part of our daily work".
Ferrari's team principal praised Leclerc's race, despite a bad starting position:
"Charles was doing well but it was definitely the Medium tyres that gave him an advantage over the drivers in front due to a lower degradation. He did a good race anyway: he started eighth, lost some positions at the beginning with the harder tires, but I think he made a good recovery afterwards. We have to look at our overall performance this weekend and then work. There is high spirits in Ferrari, a positive mood, we want to do well and win. We work together and, in my opinion, this is the perfect recipe. We hoped to be more competitive in this phase, but, so far, we were not. There are still plenty of races left to prove our worth, though".
Binotto adds an interesting detail: Leclerc's stop was not extended until lap 35, but it was even anticipated. The Monegasque's strategy should have been similar to Gasly’s, who started from the pits with Red Bull and was handling the Medium tyres even better than Ferrari:
"The Softs immediately proved to be weak given the wear, we knew that, but we had to anticipate the pit stop on Charles since his Medium tyres were destroyed, and also because he lost the pace after being overtaken by Mercedes. It was going to be a long stint and we had to get them to the end somehow, then the VSC changed the situation. Surely these tires are not easy to understand, but we must try because they play a decisive role in the race".
Despite the heavy gap from Mercedes in the standings, the team principal still believes in Ferrari's chances.
"We certainly feel in the fight for the world championship, woe if we weren't. This is only the fourth race, and we have seventeen more chances to prove that we are good and that we can do well. We are not doing math about the world championship, but we try to do the best race after race and to bring good results at home, not only for us, but especially for our fans, who deserve it, and for our drivers as well. In short, we owe it to everyone".
Ferrari team principal is right: Mercedes is strong, but the tests in Barcelona tell a different story. Sebastian Vettel is on the third step of the podium for the second time in a row. The German driver did not take many risks, but he opted for a more consistent race, perhaps as an aftermath of last year, and he therefore preferred to reach the finish line and collect precious points:
"It was hard at the beginning: I did not have a great feeling with the softs, and I was not confident. Then I felt better with medium tyres. We kept up with the Mercedes and put some pressure on them as well. There is still a lot to do, though. It's definitely not the situation we wanted at this point, but for now we have to be content with this. We are not happy for sure, but the rivals we are fighting are fast and I think third place is a good result. Anyway, the whole team and I are not satisfied; after four races it's still difficult for us to find the right window for the tires. We don't understand why, it's not easy but I think that even Mercedes doesn't know the reason why they can handle this situation. We cannot find a way and we need to figure out why".
Lately, the tyres have constantly been under investigation in Maranello, and Ferrari will continue to bring more updates to the SF90. Vettel is hopeful, but also concerned about the next Grand Prix:
"In the last races, on average, we were never really in a fight with Mercedes, so we won't be the favourite in Barcelona. But there is a good atmosphere in the team and there are still some things we will bring to the car. We must try to close the gap, but we will need a smooth weekend because we have not had any so far, so that it will mark a turning point in the season".
Yet again, Max Verstappen ends the race in fourth place, and, at the end of the race, he talks about tyre management, the factor that helped him gain this position:
"Tyre management? Yes, I think this aspect worked well, we were able to go a little bit longer than the others from the beginning and then I also had a good feeling with the medium tyres. We made up ground on our rivals, I was feeling good in the car, and I was getting even closer in the final laps. With the neutralization, I lost too much time and too much temperature in the tires, I was not able to warm them up anymore and I started sliding. Baku is quite risky and so I decided to raise my foot and bring the car to the finish line. In any case, we are satisfied, we know what we have to improve and we will try to do even better in Barcelona".
In a disastrous weekend in terms of results - retirement from the race, disqualification on Saturday for irregular flow meter and departure from the pit lane for not stopping for technical checks in FP2 - Pierre Gasly could not be happier. After suffering in the first three Grands Prix, the Frenchman seems to have found confidence with the RB15:
"This weekend was much better than the previous three. I got a better feeling with the car, and I was finally able to drive the way I wanted. We knew that, starting from the pit lane, it would be hard to fight with the other top drivers, but we had a fast enough car to make it to the points zone. The race was going well, I managed to climb to sixth position but then I had to stop for a transmission problem. In general, though, I'm adapting to the car, and I think I'm going the right direction. The car is now more predictable and my approach changed. There is still some work to do, but every weekend we improve together with the team".
Charles Leclerc reaches the finish line right behind the Red Bull driver. The Monegasque expresses his doubts about the adopted strategy:
"The first stint was very good, while in the second I was told I had no chances to get back on those in front, and, then, I tried to save the tires as much as possible to try the fast lap. In the second part of the race, I didn't show my real pace, I just wanted to go for the fast lap, since the race wall said there was no possibility to climb positions. Pitting earlier? I only know I lost a lot of time with Hamilton, Bottas and also Vettel, who passed me. There must be a reason behind it, but I need to understand. The positive side of this weekend is the pace. In my opinion, apart from my mistake, it was good yesterday, and I think the pole was in our hands. We have to focus on that. Mercedes was very strong in the race, though, which is not catastrophic but it means we have to work a little bit".
The drivers behind are Perez, Sainz, Norris, Stroll, Raikkonen, Albon, Magnussen, Hulkenberg and, lastly, the two Williams of Russell and Kubica. Therefore, Ferrari does not seem to be the only disappointing team. Renault and Haas are once again forced to see their cars retired, thus failing to collect points. After four Grands Prix, we can say that the winter tests have been a fairy-tale for some teams, creating too many expectations, especially on Ferrari: they presented themselves as the team to beat, but Mercedes seems to be the best. It is impossible to deny Ferrari problems: their best result in four races was the third position, and it is not a coincidence, because the mistakes made are caused by the poor reliability of the car and lack of performance of the drivers. Vettel himself admits he has not found the right feeling with the car:
"I am not driving at my best because the car is not responding as it should. Any driver can confirm you need to find the right feeling to perform".
What is the secret of Toto Wolff's drivers, then? The team principal of Mercedes is leading an unproblematic team, whose results have always been maximized, and which has found the right compromise in the relationship between the drivers: they respect and esteem each other, there are no clashes, and the results are in their favour. Bottas is in great shape, as is Hamilton, and there has been no misunderstanding between the two so far. Teamwork is the key, as the reigning champion also states:
"I could overtake Valtteri at the start, but I was afraid of sending him off track, or both of us, or even of being overtaken by Vettel. I really wanted to overtake him, but then I remembered we are part of a team, and a lot of people work and depend on us, which means we must avoid extreme gestures. I think you know Valtteri and I respect each other a lot, and it will go on like that. We talked about it even before the race, it’s a gentlemen’s agreement".
He also gives Ferrari some advice:
"Ferrari has to improve if they want to compete with us".
Meanwhile, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is keen to say:
"One-two finish doesn't always reflect the truth. All weekend long, Charles Leclerc was the fastest. I'm happy now, it’s been another fantastic performance from the whole team. We didn't make any mistakes and that's how we won the race. The car was fast, the strategy was right, the pit stops were perfectly executed, and the drivers didn't make any mistakes. We let them free, only asking them to take it easy at the beginning of the second stint because we didn't know how long the tires would last. Both of them behaved well under pressure; we knew we were taking a risk, but it was nice to see them fighting in a clean and respectful way. I'm happy with the result, it's a sort of redemption for Valtteri after the unfortunate epilogue of last season's race".
Mercedes seems calm, even with two drivers competing for the title. Bottas, in particular, is the only one who is livening up this championship and taking points away from the five-time World Champion. As mentioned, hopefully the suspense will continue for a while longer, leaving fans around the world anxious to find out who the winner will be until the lights go out at the last Grand Prix, to be held in Abu Dhabi.