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The Azerbaijan GP is finally done and dusted, as teams pack up and get ready to shift base to Canada in the coming weekend. The race at Baku was one of the more tranquil affairs the venue has witnessed as the race was, more or less, devoid of any dramatic moments. Sure, Charles Leclerc saw his championship hopes go up in plumes of smoke due to his power unit failure, but that is not really comparable to Lewis Hamilton pressing the 'magic button' last season or the Red Bulls clashing in 2018.
Max Verstappen dominated Sergio Perez, while George Russell bagged another podium for Mercedes at the 2022 Azerbaijan GP. Having said that, it was still a fun race with quite a few interesting mini-battles up and down the grid. As teams get ready to leave the circuit, let's take a step back and review the Azerbaijan GP.
The 2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP review
Who was the star of the race?
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In any sport, it is often said that class should not be written off. After being outqualified by his teammate twice in a row, the pressure mounted on Max Verstappen to find his bearings in the car.
Earlier in the Azerbaijan GP, the reigning world champion was stuck in third behind Charles Leclerc as Sergio Perez zipped ahead in P1. Verstappen bid his time and once Leclerc went into the pits, he unleashed his full pace and overtook Perez with ease.
The Dutchman crossed the checkered flag in P1, ahead of his teammate, and currently has a 21-point lead in the Driver Standings.
Who was the surprise of the day?
Arguably the biggest surprise of the day was Sebastian Vettel and the pace he showed in the Azerbaijan GP. The German world champion has in general been driving the wheels off his car this season. While that might be more common in qualifying, like Russell during his Williams days, it is rather rare to be able to do so in a race.
Vettel was strong in the race as well and if not for his error in T3, he might have finished one or two positions higher than his eventual P6 finish. Overall, a strong weekend for Aston Martin and its star driver.
Who was the biggest disappointment?
Could it be anyone other than Ferrari at the Azerbaijan GP? A double DNF for the Italian team, plus two more Ferrari-powered cars retired. Things look bleak for Ferrari as it continues its losing streak.
Charles Leclerc, who once led the championship, now finds himself 34 points behind Max Verstappen in the Driver Standings. Ferrari has less than a week to regroup and come back stronger in Canada. It will be interesting to see how the team deals with this new adversity.
What was the 'feel-good' moment of the race?
It was a pleasant surprise to see Daniel Ricciardo hustle Lando Norris early in the race due to having superior pace. This has been a rare occurrence in the partnership.
While the Australian might have been written off by multiple pundits, he was adamant that he's not quite done yet. In Baku, everything aligned and fans got to witness a pre-McLaren Ricciardo. Finishing ahead of Lando Norris in the Azerbaijan GP might just have been the best thing he could have done to stop wagging tongues.
Where was the Azerbaijan GP sympathy corner?
It's hard to give this to anyone but Charles Leclerc. The young Ferrari driver drove his heart out and pulled off a stunning lap on Saturday to secure pole. Even during the Azerbaijan GP, the race was unfolding nicely and it was hard to predict where his strategy would have led him in the race. However, he suffered another DNF due to a power unit failure. Charles Leclerc is arguably driving the best he's ever done in his career but things are just not falling his way at the moment.
Catch the teams and drivers in Canada next weekend.
Also Check Out :- F1 Results 2022
