Ricciardo wins in Baku, Bottas and Stroll complete podium

  • Published on 25 Jun 2017 16:56
  • comments 4
  • By: Fergal Walsh

Daniel Ricciardo has won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a hectic race saw title contenders Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton make unscheduled trips to the pits during the race, taking away any chance of a victory. 

Second place was Valtteri Bottas who was involved in a first lap incident with Kimi Raikkonen. The Mercedes driver was able to un-lap himself after a red flag period, caused by a smattering of debris around the track.

Lance Stroll drove a solid race and claimed his first ever podium finish coming across the line in third place. The podium comes two weeks after he claimed his first ever points position in Montreal. He takes Williams' first podium since the Canadian Grand Prix in 2016.

Vettel and Hamilton both finished fourth and fifth respectively. Hamilton was forced to pit from the lead as his headrest came loose, which dropped down way down the order. Vettel received a ten-second stop and go penalty after making contact with Hamilton under a safety car period.

Esteban Ocon recovered from an early crash with teammate Sergio Perez to cross the line in sixth place. His teammate Sergio Perez failed to finish, retiring with a broken seat near the end of the race.

Kevin Magnussen was running in P3 with 14 laps to go but couldn't keep the faster cars behind him, and finished in P7 which is still a respectable points haul and impressive drive from the Dane.

Carlos Sainz was eighth while McLaren-Honda finally claimed its first points as Fernando Alonso crossed the line in ninth. Rounding out the top 10 was Pascal Wehrlein who takes his second points score of the season.

Turn 1 was clean for the front runners as Hamilton and Bottas got off the line well. Further back, there was a spin for Carlos Sainz as he felt teammate Daniil Kvyat was rejoining the track in a dangerous fashion after the Russian locked up and went off the track.

At turn 2, there was yet another incident between Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen attempted to overtake his compatriot around the outside but as Bottas clouted the kerb, he speared into the side of Raikkonen. Bottas had a front right puncture and was forced to pit.

The Sauber's and McLaren's were in a hot fight as on lap 5, Ricciardo peeled into the pits to change tyres. His surge through the field started on the next lap as he made his way by the Sauber of Pascal Wehrlein. The first retirement of the day came in the form of Jolyon Palmer, and the Brit ended the weekend on a miserable note. He pulled into the pitlane with an engine issue. 

On lap 11, Daniil Kvyat was seen stopped at the exit of 13, clambering out of his car. Max Verstappen started attacking Sergio Perez who was running in third position. However, the pace didn't last long as yet another engine problem forced Verstappen to retire. 

The safety car came out on the next lap while the Toro Rosso of Kvyat was recovered. All the cars in the field took this opportunity to pit, and the order stayed much the same. 

Lap 17 saw the safety car peel into the pits, but it was only moments later when it was redeployed due to debris on the track.This period lasted three laps and on lap 20, the green flag was waved. It was then noticed that Vettel and Hamilton made contact twice behind the safety car, with Vettel first hitting the back of the Brit's car as they prepared for a restart.

He then appeared to get alongside Hamilton and hit him sideways on, which resulted in the German receiving a ten-second penalty for unsportsmanlike driving. Both drivers had contrasting views on what happened post race.

At the safety car restart, there was major damage at turn 2 once again as this time, the two Force India's of Ocon and Perez hit each other, with both cars suffering damage. For the third time in 9 laps, the safety car was deployed until race control deemed that a red flag situation was needed.

After about 30 minutes of sitting in the pits while the track was cleared of debris, the safety car led the cars back out. On the restart, Ricciardo leapt into third position, while Massa had a damper problem, causing him to limp back to the pits after he was on course for a podium finish at the very least.

Lap 25 saw an uncharacteristic mistake from Nico Hulkenberg, as he hit the inside wall at turn 7, snapping his suspension and ending Renault's day in Azerbaijan. Lewis Hamilton then began to suffer problems with his headrest, as it was lifting out of its sitting area.

The loose headrest forced Hamilton into a pitstop to replace it on lap 31, while only laps later, Vettel pitted to serve his stop and go penalty. Vettel re-emerged right in front of Hamilton, but they were now down in the lower points-paying positions after running in P1 and P2.

Both men made their way past Alonso, Magnussen and Ocon, while Valtteri Bottas also made ground in this time. He was running in P3 ahead of Vettel and Hamilton and was lapping faster than anyone on track, catching Stroll in P2 by a second a lap. 

Daniel Ricciardo kept his cool at the front to cross the line and win the fifth race of his career. On the run to the line, Bottas got by Stroll, finishing less than a tenth of a second ahead of the Canadian who climbed onto the podium step in just his eighth Formula 1 race.

Fergal Walsh

AZ Baku City Circuit - 25 June 2017

Replies (4)

Login to reply
  • I... Im still not sure what even happened in this race... But splendid drive from Stroll. Massive improvement during these last 2 weekends. Lets hope it'll only get better.

    Real pity about Verstappen, again. Pretty sure he could've won this. Im really surprise about the sheer pace Red Bull had this weekend.

    Vettel... Why did you have to bounce Hamilton? I really didnt like Famineton's not-accelerating testing on Vettel, but to do what Vettel did after that is reckless at best. Still, went better for Vettel than I predicted this weekend.

    Points for McLaren! And Sauber! And in Baku, of all places...

    Stellar drive from KMag. It looks like he has improved, whereas Grosjean has faded over the last couple of races... Well, not that he had much of a chance to do anything last race, mind.

    Force India... When I said we'd all benefit from your drivers racing one another, I didnt mean they'd have to do it this eagerly. You know, it is okay to do things in moderate amounts.

    • + 0
    • Jun 25 2017 - 17:19
  • mbmwe36

    Posts: 533

    That was an amazing race. Great, great job by Stroll, who I've been very critical of. But he kept his cool when the pressure was on. But what a crazy podium everything considered.
    The Force India stuff was embarrassing, as wad Hamilton if he Indeed brake tested Vetted. But overall a very fun race!

    • + 0
    • Jun 25 2017 - 17:25
  • mental stuff, got to say I would have never predicted that! Very cool driver from Danny ric, well deserved win in the end super by bottas to come from a lap down and then to take stroll on the line!
    As for stroll, well I have been proved wrong! Good drive from him for sure, 10x better than he has been previously!
    For seb and Lewis come on that was very cynical from vettel we may not have seen the end of this... But good for the championship I suppose keeps it tight, and maybe puts bottas and Riccardo in the fight now

    • + 0
    • Jun 25 2017 - 17:46
  • Amazing,,, just amazing. Ric, Bot and Str all drove so well, very proud of them

    • + 0
    • Jun 25 2017 - 18:03

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

BEGrand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

World Championship standings 2024

Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

See full test schedule

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
22 - Mar 24
Australia
5 - Apr 7
Japan
19 - Apr 21
China
3 - May 5
United States of America
17 - May 19
Italy
24 - May 26
Monaco
7 - Jun 9
Canada
21 - Jun 23
Spain
28 - Jun 30
Austria
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom
19 - Jul 21
Hungary
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
30 - Sep 1
Italy
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
20 - Sep 22
Singapore
18 - Oct 20
United States of America
25 - Oct 27
Mexico
1 - Nov 3
Brazil
22 - Nov 24
United States of America
29 - Dec 1
Qatar
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
29 - Mar 2
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
19 - Apr 21
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
24 - May 26
Monaco Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
21 - Jun 23
28 - Jun 30
Austria Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
18 - Oct 20
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
1 - Nov 3
Brazil Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team Sauber
  • Points 1,608
  • Podiums 61
  • Grand Prix 188
  • Country FI
  • Date of b. Aug 28 1989 (34)
  • Place of b. Nastola, FI
  • Weight 70 kg
  • Length 1.73 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Show full profile
show sidebar