Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Race - Review

 

Photo by F1 via F1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Before the race:

         ➤ PENALTY:

➺ During Parc Ferme, Hamilton changed the following PU elements have been used:

      - 5th Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)

      - 5th Turbo Charger (TC)

      - 5th Motor Generator Unit - Heat (MGU-H)

      PENALTY: Required to start the Race from the pit lane.

➺ During Parc Ferme, Ocon changed the following PU elements have been used:

      - 5th Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)

      - 5th Turbo Charger (TC)

      - 5th Motor Generator Unit - Heat (MGU-H)

      - 5th Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K)

      PENALTY: Required to start the Race from the pit lane.

  ✮ The final starting grid: 

Photo by FIA via Doc 52 - Final Starting Grid

✦  Race:

• Albon, Ricciardo, Norris, Zhou, Gasly and Ocon using the hard tires, all the others with medium
• Gains in the first lap:
• Perez, Verstappen, Gasly one position,
• Norris three positions

In the beginning of the race, Yuki and Stroll had contact, on the radio Stroll said “Tsunoda closed the door on me”, from this contact he got a punctured the tire. And Yuki with floor problems, but not only that a hole on the side of the car, he tried to keep going but on lap 16 Yuki retired.

Photo by F1 via F1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix

• Norris climbing the grid, beautiful overtaking on Tsunoda
• Russell: "I think a plastic bag just went in the left hand side airbox"

Here was the moment I got a little boring and started to transcript radios and tires ages on my notes, but I could imagined what

• McLaren asked Norris to try to hold off Perez for two laps, but Perez saw that it didn't work.
• Lap 18: Who had already stop once: Leclerc, Piastri, Perez, Sainz, Verstappen, Russell, Alonso, Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Bearman, Hamilton, Stroll, Bottas
• Lap 20 - Piastri new leader: risky but beautiful overtaking
• Lap 22 - Leclerc: “They [Piastri and Perez] are pushing like crazy, or they have more grip than us”
• Beautiful overtaking from Sainz over Norris
• Hamilton was asked to cool down the the tire temperature
• Max makes a mistake and goes straight on, but continues, and complains that the brakes are not working
• Russell: “what lap do we expect Albon and Norris to box?”
  Engineer: “We’re thinking at least another 10 laps for them”
• Hamilton: “Are you seeing how I have to drive this thing?!”
  Engineer: “Copy that, Lewis. It’s effective though”

And here when this race started to be interesting for me again

• Max: “I have no rear grip. The car is just jumping on the rear. Losing contact”, qualifying setup not working for the race
• 31 laps and Norris was called to go to the box and then he was told to stay out, my first thought was: “does McLaren need a coffee? A Monster?”, but they were waiting to Albon to box, for Lando be able to get an advantage, very smart
• Stroll DNF due to problem in the breaks
• Lap 38, Norris finally pitted and came back behind Verstappen, P7
• Leclerc: “Piastri starting to struggle”
• McLaren jokes to Norris to say be fast but watch your tires: “Imagine Andrea on your shoulder saying "Zero wheelspin" every exit”
• 3 laps to the end, Leclerc: “No rear tyres no rear tyres at all”

  ✮ Carlos & Checo:

Photo by F1 via F1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix

First it was beautiful  the way Sainz overtook over Perez, but when he did that, he went to the dirty side of the track, besides that he should be focus on protecting P3, but he was worried about overtaking Leclerc

Checo is doing his thing and got close to get his position back, but Sainz tried to get more space went a little too much to the left and happened what happened.

I don’t know what race people watched to blame a single driver, especially I think is easier put the fault on Checo due to his not delivering in the past races and people want another drivers on his seat and also Carlos is one of everyone favs, but let’s be honest: both are to blame. We could play with what ifs, what if Carlos kept the car on that line, what if Checo went more to the left or reacting faster, but nothing of this would change it was a race incident.

• On my lens Leclerc was lucky. I really thought a little after Sainz got P3, he would take out both Ferraris trying to overtake Leclerc
• I got a little sad for Checo, after so many bad races, this week he was going so strong, and them that happened.

  ✮ Last Notes:

Photo by F1 via F1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix

What amazing victory Piastri had today, he made a risky but beautiful overtaking, lead for 31 laps. Leclerc also an amazing race it’s incredible the way he has been guiding, I really hope Ferrari doesn’t  make any more mistakes with the updates. George had a more shy race, but he was there to take the P3. Lando, an incredible recovery race from P15 to P4. We know that Max has been struggling with the car but even this way he finished in P5. Alonso P6, what a surprise, but not bigger than the surprise of both Williams on points, very strong on the straights. Hamilton and Bearman really good battle to decide P9 and P10, talking about Ollie out-qualifying Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, he made history, being the first driver to score points for two different teams in his first two races in F1

         ➤ PENALTY:

➺ Gasly, Hulkenberg, Ocon & Verstappen for overtaking under Virtual Safety Car Conditions after the chequered flag.

      PENALTY: Warning

➺ McLaren breached of Article 34.13 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations.

"Team personnel are only allowed in the pit lane immediately before they are required to work on a car and must withdraw as soon as the work is complete."

      PENALTY: McLaren is fined €5,000.

➺ Carlos Sainz & Checo Perez incident

      PENALTY: No further action

So, see you soon!

Fondly, Nina