Second sprint event of the year, with the new format tested in Baku. Sprint race which sees an unusual grid at the start, not for Max on pole, but for the other protagonists of the world championship, in fact in the second row we find Lando Norris with Nico Hulkenberg, Leclerc suffers a three-place penalty for impeding, while the two Mercedes only fifteenth and eighteenth, due to a qualifying shootout marked by track limits…
Perez's “Sprint” start
First choice of the race, that of tires on a wet track, everyone starts with the intermediate tires except Valtteri Bottas who attempts the formation lap with the yellow ones, but returns to the pit lane to change compounds.
At the start Perez makes a very aggressive start overtaking him in turn one, a position immediately recovered by the home lion in turn three, where the Dutchman breaks away very late, slowing down the entire train of cars following him, Nico Hulkenberg takes advantage of this, with a Haas that seems reborn, which slips between the two Red Bulls, overtaking Perez, a low blow for Norris who suffers Verstappen's move, slipping to tenth position.
Hamilton gained 5 positions at the start, after the terrible qualifying which saw him out of Q1 due to the cancellation of one of the times.
Pit Stop?
The Hamlet-like doubt arrives around the tenth lap, in which the track seems to dry out, an indicator of this is Norris who with the intermediates (like everyone else) he goes off the line to cool the tires, and then Alonso's radio team states that it "could potentially dry out", the pit in such conditions and with only 14 laps left needs to be evaluated carefully. Verstappen arrives to remove all doubts on lap 12 "still as intermediates".
The key overtaking by Sainz came on the thirteenth lap and he overtook Hulkenberg to get onto the podium, while Leclerc at the back battled first with Norris and then with Ocon, a driver who is very good in defense and particularly in form this season in Alpine, putting on a great show.
George takes care of removing everyone's doubts by returning on the sixteenth lap to put on red tyres, followed by Oscar Piastri, Hamilton and Hulkenberg. A choice that paid off so much so that Russell set a fast time, but there were only 5 laps to go. The top seven do not stop, including Sainz in third position behind the Red Bulls.
Have fun back there, the points are scored up front!
The mixed conditions of the track and the drivers' compounds, between intermediate, red and yellow, many wheel-to-wheel battles in the rear while the top seven continue undisturbed, in order: Verstappen, Perez, Sainz, Stroll, Alonso, Ocon and Lando Norris (the only one of the two Mclaren to have the updates fitted).
Lots of fun, but few results, the choice of pit didn't pay off, the compound was better performing but the time was too limited. Some examples: Hulkenberg who chose to enter the pits when he was in fourth place finished sixth, Russell eighth and Leclerc twelfth.
Vince Max Verstappen with an incredible demonstration of power from the Dutchman who finished twenty-one seconds ahead of Perez, with only 24 laps…
