Ricciardo wins chaotic race

Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo profited from the chaos to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday while Sebastian Vettel extended his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton. The Australian secured his fifth career win while Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas overtook 18-year-old Canadian Lance Stroll’s Williams in the closing metres to take second place.“It was just a crazy race, with all the safety cars and the chaos,” Ricciardo said. “On the cool-down lap, I was just giggling like a schoolboy.”

Vettel steered his Ferrari into fourth, just ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes. After eight races, Vettel leads Hamilton by 14 points.

In a stop-start race, the safety car came out three times in quick succession before a red flag stopped the Grand Prix near the midway point because debris littered the track. Shortly before that, Hamilton and Vettel were involved in an incident that threatens to sour their good relations. Hamilton appeared to stop his car right in front of Vettel, causing Vettel to collide into him. An irate Vettel then accelerated alongside Hamilton and appeared to deliberately swerve back into him. Vettel was given a 10-second stop-go penalty, but Hamilton lost valuable time changing a loose headrest at the same time that Vettel served his time penalty. Hamilton was on Vettel’s tail on the last lap, but could not overtake.

WAY BACK

The fact Ricciardo won from 10th on the grid, and that Bottas clawed his way back from last

following an early incident, summed up a bizarre race.

It was an extraordinary performance from Stroll, the son of a billionaire, who faced heavy criticism earlier in the season.