Ricciardo wins chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Canada’s Stroll finishes third — ‘I’m just lost for words’
BAKU, AZERBAIJAN — Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo profited from chaos to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday.
“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.”
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas overtook 18-year-old Canadian Lance Stroll’s Williams in the closing metres to take second place.
It was an extraordinary performance from Stroll, the son of a billionaire, who faced heavy criticism earlier in the season.
“I’m just lost for words,” said Stroll, from Montreal, who earned his first podium finish.
“Just lost out to Valtteri in the end, but still extremely happy with the result. I can’t describe how I feel, it’s beyond amazing.”
Stroll is the first Canadian to finish on an F1 podium since Jacques Villeneuve finished third at the German Grand Prix in 2001.
Ironically, it was Villeneuve who has been one of Stroll’s highest profile critics.
The retired driver told autoweek.com on June 13 that Stroll’s freshman year “is one of the worst rookie performances in the history of Formula 1.”
Sebastian Vettel extended his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton. Vettel steered his Ferrari into fourth, just ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes.
After eight races, Vettel leads Hamilton by 14 points in the drivers’ championship.
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.
While behind a safety car Hamilton, who was in the lead, appeared to slow his car right in front of Vettel, causing Vettel to drive 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.
Hamilton was on Vettel’s tail on the last lap, but could not overtake.
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.
“I had to overtake everyone. It just shows you should never give up,” Bottas said.
“I really enjoyed it,” Bottas added. “It was a shame Daniel was too far away at the end but in the circumstances it was a good result.”
Hamilton was on pole position for the 66th time in his career, with Bottas second on the grid followed by Kimi Raikkonen in third and Vettel fourth.
The Baku circuit, which glides through the city’s medieval walls and passes the Caspian Sea, caused problems all weekend due to its long straights and tight, hard-braking corners.