Last Updated on September 15 2024, 3:22 pm
Just when Sergio Perez thought it was safe to go out in the F1 paddock in Baku, a last lap battle with Charles Leclerc saw the Mexican driver lose out to his team mate once again. Checo was on for a podium finish when he bailed out of a late overtake move on Charles Leclerc.
The Ferrari driver looked doomed having reported his rear tyres were finished two laps earlier, yet somehow Perez decided he couldn’t complete the overtake backing out and taking the inside line. Carlos Sainz seeing an opportunity went around the outside and was ahead as the pair dulled out of turn two in Baku.
Replays suggests Perez was unlucky as Sainz thinking he had more room than he did, began to move towards the centre of the track. He hooked Sergio’s right front with his rear left and the pair were in the wall in a split second.
Russell critical of FIA race control
George Russell was fifteen seconds behind the battling four at the front and expressed surprise as he rounded the 90 degree corner only to be dazzled by the sun and a cloud of carbon fibre. The Mercedes driver admitted without the crash up ahead and a poor qualifying performance from Lando Norris, that his team are now fourth quickest and P5/6 was all he expected.
Russell was critical of the FIA’s race control for not deploying a virtual/safety car more quickly. “I was surprised the Safety Car didn’t come out sooner at the end, those cars could have been anywhere. I’m glad everyone is OK.”
Perez expressed his disappointment over team radio: ”What the f*** is he doing, man? What the f***? Is he crazy, or what? F****** idiot,” raged Perez on his team radio.
Meanwhile Sainz appeared bemused as to the cause of the crash: “What happened there? What happened?” Sainz’s engineer enquired: “Are you okay?”
He replied: “Yes, but I don’t get it…”
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Horner claims Checo would have won the race
Earlier in the race there was an opportunity for Perez to overtake the eventual winner during the pit stops. Red Bull went for the undercut with Checo on fresh tyres one lap earlier than the McLaren driver. Yet to the rescue came Lando Norris who had yet to stop. He held up Perez for a lap, deliberately slowing his car in the twisty sections of the Baku track, with the result that Piastri came out ahead. “Other than that he [Checo] would have won the race,” observed Christian Horner when speaking to Sky F1.
Of course Checo would have needed to pass Leclerc for the win, an opportunity which came on the penultimate lap but Sainz’s intervention prevented the final showdown and Leclerc escaped with the second step on the podium.
Perez and Sainz head off to the stewards who will sort out the mess and decide on any penalties. Even if Sainz is found to be the perpetrator Checo should have known better and given the Spanish driver a little more room.
In the cool-down room, the top three drivers were shown a replay of the crash and they appeared stunned. Charles Leclerc covered his eyes and said: “They’ve not been great friends this weekend and that’s the third time.” Piastri added: “That finished the job.”
Hamilton and Leclerc respond to latest Ferrari snub
Verstappen called to stewards
Checo’s crash now sees Max Verstappen called to the stewards for an potential infringement of safety car protocols. The alleged transgression made by Max was not during the race, but following the chequered flag. “I’m a bit surprised,” reflected Verstappen on his summons to the stewards explaining, “I only passed the car once the race was finished.”
Should Verstappen receive a ten second penalty, he will be relegated behind Fernando Alonso in the final race classification to end another miserable weekend for the world champion.
Piastri reflected on the move which ultimately won him the Grand Prix. “After the stop it felt like we had a bit of extra grip and I had to go for it, I knew if I didn’t get past at the start of the stint I was never going to get past.
“I went for a pretty big lunge but I managed and then hung on for dear life for the next laps. Once he dropped out of DRS it was a little bit more relaxing but there’s no relaxing lap around here.”
Lando Norris lost points look criticial
Stunning move from Piastri
TV replays show the Aussie having to apply significant opposite lock through the middle of turn one as he passed the Ferrari driver. The rear of the car drifted towards the barrier but gripped up at the last second.
McLaren have now overtake Red Bull in the constructors’ championship, the first time they have led in this competition since after the first race of 2014. McLaren last won the constructors’ title in 1998 with Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard a fact which was not lost on Oscar Piastri.
“I think considering where we started when I joined the team last year, we were literally last and now we’re leading the world championship. It’s a credit to the team for the turnaround in the last 18 months ago, and they’ve improved me as well. It’s a massive team effort and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Elsewhere the Williams pair had their best race result of the season with Alex Albon claiming seventh and Logan Sargeant’s replacement Franco Colapinto one slot further back. This moves Williams ahead of the hapless Alpine who despite the recruitment of Flavio Briatore appear unable to get the basics of F1 racing right.
Red Bull upset with Aston Martin presentation
Bearman overtakes Magnussen in drivers’ table
Oliver Bearman standing in for the one race banned Kevin Magnussen claimed the final points scoring position. He was behind team mate Nico Hulkenberg starting the penultimate lap when the pair and Hamilton came across the stricken cars of Perez and Sainz.
Bearman slid past the sister Haas car as the sun dazzled the drivers, “I wanted to try and pass Lewis too,” the British driver reflected but admitted he decided digression was the better part of valour.
When added to the points he collected for Ferrari in Jeddah while standing in for the stricken Carlos Sainz, Bearman now is ahead of regular Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen in the drivers’ title race.
Verstappen reveals huge problem at Red Bull
Max Verstappen admits frustration as Red Bull suffer setbacks at Azerbaijan Grand Prix – In what has become an unusually difficult period for the reigning Formula One champion, Max Verstappen has revealed his growing frustration with Red Bull’s recent performance. The Dutchman, who has dominated the sport in recent years, has now gone six races without a win – a run that has raised questions about both his and the team’s form.
At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Verstappen’s performance once again fell short of expectations. He qualified sixth on the grid, a position well below the standard he set for himself and the team. Verstappen’s disappointment was palpable as he described how he struggled with the car in the crucial moments of qualifying… READ MORE
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Why strange claim?.. he had a good set up for the race. Had he not been hold by Norris he would have been 1st and no Carlos battle would have happened