2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku, April 27-29

[Fulcrum]

Hehe, Grosjean post race interview just been on "Yeah I accidentally knocked a switch by two positions, and there was a massive gust of wind, and the team confirmed there was actually a second gunman on the grassy knoll, so not much I could have done"

If he actually said that, it almost redeems the mistake.

[Fulcrum]

So the top teams each had a lucky win. Next race will be spectacular

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Unfortunately, probably not. Barcelona is often a procession.

[MtthsMlw]

No penalty for Perez.

Btw what's this s*** about no more podium interviews? The drivers didn't even had enough time to take off their helmets and were already bombared with questions..

[F1NAC]

No penalty for Perez.

Btw what's this s*** about no more podium interviews? The drivers didn't even had enough time to take off their helmets and were already bombared with questions..

That's new "rule" starting from this GP. No more podium interviews.

[jjn9128]

An all the Verstappen/Ricciardo, Perez, Bottas excitement I've just noticed Hartley got the final point barely noticed him all race.

Sound like Perez keeping his podium.

[Fulcrum]

On Verstappen vs Ricciardo i don't think Verstappen moved enough to call it moving in the braking zone or double weaving, from the front his line is pretty straight.

I might go Ricciardo's fault on that one.

Probably pent up frustration for:

• Letting him get by at the start.

• Multiple attempts to pass that almost worked, but ultimately failed.

• Actually passing, but after 35 laps of trying.

• Then getting passed from an overcut.

Judging from their reactions immediately after the race, I think they both know neither were without fault on this one. Whether that's their own perspective, or the team line, we'll wait and see.

[siskue2005]

Let's look at how Lady Luck has done until now:

- Australia: Vettel won, but should have been 2nd
- Bahrain: Vettel won square and fair with an unbelievable job
- China: Hamilton should have finished behind Vettel, but ended the race way up instead
- Baku: Hamilton should have finished 3rd at best, but won and at the same time Vettel should have won, but finished 4th

Luck wise, Hamilton has definitely turned things around and is leading against his main rival in that matter.

Regarding today's race, Redbull will have much to discuss in debrief again. They raced each other rather than the leading cars.
On top of that incident Grosjean mixed up everything even more with his silly move.

Vettel was running 3rd when he lucked to 1st during Safety car in Australia.
China Hamilton was running 4th and finished 4th, he didnt get any favour there.
Baku Lewis third??? he was in 2nd place...Bottas got lucky to jump them both during SC.

All in all the luck swings both ways..., there are 17 more races and we will see what happens.

Yes, Hamilton 3rd today because I don't think he would have been able to defend against Bottas on fresh US with a lead of just 3 seconds (if we consider 20-21 seconds Bottas would have lost in pit stop).

So by ur logic then Vettel only deserved 2nd today as Bottas would come 5 sec behind Vettel and with ultras he would have overtaken him too.

- Baku: Hamilton should have finished 3rd at best, but won and at the same time Vettel should have won, but came 4th

[Vettel165]

It doesnt matter right now, the race is done, what ifs doesnt matter. Now I will have to wait again for that 14 painful days. Even thought Ferrari will be on pole it doesnt matter, because the SC will come and destroy our race like in China and here.

[Raleigh]

he would have required 4 to 5 laps to be get temperature in the tyres, the merc car is really poor in this aspect... and by that time nobody can know if he could catch up or burn up his tyres......that is why they waited soooooooo looong to pit Bottas.

Mercedes were waiting for a safety car, they had nothing to lose by staying out because Valtteri was easing away from both Seb and Lewis despite the 30 lap old supersofts. That's how slow the soft tires were, doesn't matter if it took a lap or two to switch on the ultras he would have had 12-15 laps to go hunt down Seb.

yeah could have would have, but not definite and like poeple saying here it was not slam dung or that bit doesnt mean he deserved it more than Lewis or Vettel

Lewis ruined his tires and strategy by locking both fronts into turn 1, then Seb trashed his tires with a no-way-never-going-to-happen passing attempt from way back into turn 1. Meanwhile Valtteri drove perfectly the whole race and got wiped out by a random little piece of debris that could have taken out anyone, he was just the unlucky one who hit it.

So yes, if Valtteri had won it would have been a deserved victory and I think Lewis understood that, he lost a deserved victory in Australia to the safety car and a similar thing happened to Valtteri here.

[zeph]

Gutted for Bottas, for me he is the driver of the day.

[NathanOlder]

Absolute class from Lewis there, I have seen certain Germans celebrate like maniacs after a win like that.

Totally agreeq

[Racer X]

Well done Force India....Well Done!

[Phil]

Gutted for Bottas, for me he is the driver of the day.

I get the sympathy, but why? He didnt particularly do any thing exciting. He simply had a strategy that worked out in his favor, an off-chance, a gamble, by sheet circumstance.

Hamilton made a small mistake by trying to stay with Vettel (and ruined his strategy). Vettel made the smallest of errors at the end. If you ask me, Vettel drove a fantastic race. He deserves just as much sympathy, only he lost “less”.

[atanatizante]

So, Ferrari should be massively frustrated for not winning today the race, coz for at least in Seb`s hands he was doing a very controlled race.

It`s clear-cut, at least for me, that from last year they did the best job until now. I know Merc, in the end, has had the upper hand having more races suiting their longer car. But Ferrari learned that lesson and had designed a longer car for this year but keeping their last car`s advantages. But that is not the reason I said they did the best job from 2017 onwards. The main reason is for the fact that they kept the same strategy regarding the race: always focused to set up their car entirely for the race.

Now one reason for why Merc is doing badly in 2018 is that they maybe choose to sacrifice their qualy advantage and focused more towards the race, seeing that Ferrari was having a better race pace last year. Or maybe all the teams are focused entirely on the race but with this new rear suspension, W09 gained and lost something. They`ve gained with tyres preserving now for longer in the race but they`ve lost in qualy for being too kind to them and that lead to ending their ability to warm them quickly, which is crucial in qualy btw.

So in my point of view they lost on both fronts: firstly they lose that qualy advantage and secondly they ruined their race pace … or maybe the latter part is due to running in the dirty air/not running in clean air?

[NathanOlder]

Congratz to Lewis, but I will never watch f1 again. The pain is unbearable, 10 laps to go I went out to have some fresh air, I come back and I see Vettel down in fourth.. I hate f1. You can also said that if Seb didnt try to pass Bottas he might be hitting the debri and ending the race, but we will never know. Because that piece of the car was on the main straight, if Seb was leading he would be surely a victim and not Bottas.

Very true. Damn Seb got lucky today