© Getty ImagesCheco Takes First Win With Team In Eventful Azerbaijan GPAn action-packed Baku sees Checo become the fifth different winner for the Team.
At the start, pole sitter Charles Leclerc got away well and took the lead for Ferrari ahead of Hamilton. Max made a solid start to hold his P3 starting place but behind, teammate Checo made a superb start and halfway through the opening lap he was past Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly slotting into P4.
Max Gets Off To A Good Start© Getty Images
At the end of the next lap Hamilton closed on Leclerc and thanks to the long straight, and the slipstream, he was able to power past the Ferrari driver to claim the race lead.
Max also closed on the Ferrari but with the Monégasque driver benefiting from DRS from Hamilton, Max could not make an attack stick. However, Leclerc lost DRS on lap six, and as the leaders crossed the line to start the next lap, Max’s wing opened and he was able to blast past the Ferrari to take P2.
Leclerc was now struggling to stay with the front of the pack and at the start of lap he was passed by Checo who also set the fastest lap of the race to that point.
Under pressure from Max, Hamilton headed for the pits at the end of lap 11 and moved to Hard tyres, but the Mercedes driver was forced to wait on his marks for a few crucial moments as Gasly passed the Mercedes box.
Max Gets Away After A Quick Stop© Getty Images
The team responded and pitted Max at the end of the next tour for hard tyres. And after a slick 1.9s stop, the Dutch driver emerged from the pit lane ahead of Hamilton.
With Checo right on the pace, the team then told the Mexican to box at the end of the next lap. Sergio posted a rapid sequence of purple sectors and even though he had a slow 4.3s stop due to a wheel gun issue, he was able to re-join ahead of Hamilton.
The race then settled and for the next 15 laps Max slowly built up a small gap to Checo who was in turn two seconds ahead of Hamilton.
At the halfway mark Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll held fourth place having not made a pit stop to switch his starting hard tyres. But on lap 30 his left rear tyre suffered a puncture and he crashed into the wall near to the pit entry. The safety car was immediately deployed and the pit lane was closed.
The pit entry opened at the end of lap 34 but none of the leaders chose to give up track position and at the start of lap 36 racing resumed.
Controlling The Safety Car Restart© Getty Images
Max controlled the re-start well and kept his lead ahead of Sergio and Hamilton. Behind them a ferocious tussle for fourth developed among Gasly, Leclerc and Vettel and it was the Aston Martin driver who profited most.
He made a good move past Leclerc to steal fifth after the restart and soon after powered past Gasly to claim P4.
The race then settled again with Max continuing to expertly manage the race ahead of Sergio and Hamilton.
The Team looked certain to claim its first 1-2 finish since 2016 but then on lap 46 that outcome disappeared in a shower of carbon fibre.
As he crossed the line, Max’s RB16B slewed sideways and he was pitched into the wall on the straight, an issue which looks like a left rear tyre failure.
Max Returns To The Garage© Getty Images
The race was quickly red-flagged and all cars returned to the pit lane. That allowed teams to change tyres and after a 20-minute delay, race control indicated that the race would resume 15 minutes later with a standing start.
And when the lights went out it was Hamilton who made the best start. He pulled alongside Checo on the inside line as they powered towards turn one.
But as they hit the brakes Hamilton locked up and Checo swept through to claim the lead as Hamilton slid down the escape. He would re-join but finished in P15.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021: Race
Chequered Flag For Checo© Getty Images
Bulls Hold 1-2 In Baku© Getty Images
Max Looks Steady On The Streets© Getty Images
Checo Steady In Front With One Lap To Go© Getty Images
Living Life In The Fast Line© Getty Images
Making All The Right Moves© Getty Images
Checo Holds Off Hamilton© Getty Images
Checo Crosses The Line To Win© Getty Images
A Defining Race Restart© Getty Images
Checo Changes For Fresh Rubber© Getty Images
Checking Out The Bulls By The Castle© Getty Images
Streets Provide A Show© Getty Images
Controlling The Safety Car Restart© Getty Images
Max Returns To The Garage© Getty Images
Celebrations In The Garage For Checo© Getty Images
And two laps later Sergio secured his first win for Red Bull Racing Honda. Sebastian Vettel claimed a well worked second place for Aston Martin, with Pierre Gasly grabbing another podium for AlpahTauri. Charles Leclerc was P4 for Ferrari ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, while Yuki Tsunoda finished seventh to give AlphaTauri a double points finish.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz finished in eighth place ahead of McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and the final point was taken by Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Räikkönen.
Checo Claims His First Victory With The Team© Getty Images
“We love Baku! It feels amazing to get my first win with Red Bull. The Team did a tremendous job and I want to thank Mr Mateschitz for this great opportunity and giving me the seat. I feel very sorry for Max because he deserved the win and a 1-2 for the Team would’ve been very enjoyable. It was a crazy rollercoaster of a race, we were basically flat out from the very first lap and I had Lewis behind pushing me so I couldn’t breathe, it was very challenging but we kept our focus.
"Everything worked perfectly today apart from the restart at the end where I just had no grip. I thought I cannot lose this race two laps from the flag so I broke as late as I could into Turn 1 and then I saw Lewis locking up and go straight on into the run off. It just shows how on the limit we are, the speeds we are doing are tremendous and I am sorry for Lewis because it’s very painful when these things happen but we are all vulnerable to mistakes. We have to enjoy today, our pace was great and we have a very good race car. We are working flat out and giving our best every week, it’s only race six and there’s more to come from me, the relationship with Max and the Team is great and there’s still a long way to go in this championship.”
“To retire from the lead of the race so close to the finish is pretty frustrating. I didn’t feel anything strange with the car and then suddenly the left rear went and I was in the wall quite hard. It’s not a nice place to crash and we don’t know the exact cause yet, I’m sure it will be fully investigated. Up until that point it was a great day, the car felt perfect and I was comfortable in the lead so it felt like it would be an easy 1-2 but there are no guarantees in this sport.
Of course I am frustrated from my side not to win but I was very happy to see Checo up there.
"Of course I am frustrated from my side not to win but I was very happy to see Checo up there. He did everything that the Team could have wanted today. He had a great start and then we both got past Lewis in the pits. I heard he had to defend for most of the race, so if I couldn’t win, I’m glad he could. He’s a great guy and a great teammate so it was good to see him smiling on the podium and having his first win for Red Bull. It’s a shame that we missed out on the opportunity to make the gap bigger to Lewis today in the championship as we know when we get back to the normal tracks Mercedes will be very strong again but it just goes to show anything can happen and it’s still a good result for the Team!”
What a rollercoaster! I think we have been through every single emotion today.
“What a rollercoaster! I think we have been through every single emotion today. To be within five laps of achieving our first 1-2 since 2016 to then lose Max from the lead of the race with a puncture that is so far unexplained was pretty heart breaking. The race was then red flagged and we had serious concerns that Sergio was losing hydraulic pressure and there were no guarantees he would make it to the finish. Thankfully Sergio got the job done and Lewis’ mistake into Turn 1 at the restart means we come out of the weekend having extended our lead in the Constructors’ Championship with Max maintaining his lead in the Drivers’ and Checo now moving into third place.
We would like to dedicate this win to Mansour Ojjeh who was unfortunately lost from the McLaren family and our sport. "Although it was frustrating for Max, we are delighted for Checo to take his first win for the Team today. He has been extremely fast all weekend and it was a great boost for the Team to see him on the top step of the podium. It was also great to see Pierre on up there on the podium after a strong weekend but today we would like to dedicate this win to Mansour Ojjeh who was unfortunately lost from the McLaren family and our sport, he was inspirational and someone I was fortunate enough to call a friend. Congratulations and a big thank you must also go to all our partners, especially Mobil 1 who provided us with an upgraded engine oil for this weekend which just shows how hard all areas of our Team are pushing in this championship fight.”
| Position | Driver | Team | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | … | DNF |
| Sergio Pérez | Sebastian Vettel | Pierre Gasly | Charles Leclerc | Lando Norris | Fernando Alonso | Yuki Tsunoda | Carlos Sainz | Daniel Ricciardo | Kimi Räikkönen | … | Max Verstappen |
| Red Bull Racing Honda | Aston Martin | AlphaTauri | Ferrari | McLaren | Alpine | AlphaTauri | Ferrari | McLaren | Alfa Romeo Racing | … | Red Bull Racing Honda |
