The 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was one of highs and lows. Max Verstappen picked up his fifth race in F1 in 2022 with his teammate Sergio Perez taking P2 and recording the fastest lap to ensure maximum points for the Bulls. George Russel maintains his record of finishing under the top 5 this season with his third podium finish of the season. So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the men who shined and the men who left us wanting more from the 2022 Azerbaijan GP.
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The man who shined the most for the fifth time this season is Max Verstappen who dominated the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after taking the lead off his teammate Sergio Perez on Lap 15 to extend his lead in the world championship. Sergio Perez eventually finished second after originally taking the lead from Leclerc on the opening lap of the race and also picked up an extra point for the fastest lap that ensured a perfect weekend for Red Bull Racing. Mercedes’ George Russel took the last spot on the podium after finishing P3 with the 7-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finishing behind him in P4. In P5 we had the Gas-man who picked up his best result in F1 2022 so far this season. The AlphaTauri was followed by Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin in P6 who somehow managed to outpace the Alpine of Fernando Alonso who came in P7. Then came the two McLaren who moved up the field together and did not race throughout the race and bagged decent points for their struggling side. Lastly, Estaban Ocon crossed the checkered flag to wrap up the top ten from the Azerbaijan GP.
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The 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix marked Ferrari’s worst race of the F1 2022 season as both their cars had to retire before the halfway mark of the race. The first one to retire was Carlos Sianz who picked up his third DNF of the season following a hydraulics issue with his Scuderia. A few laps later, his teammate and championship protagonist Charles Leclerc who was in the lead of the race had a Power Unit failure and had to retire from the race. The problem for Ferrari engines continued in the race with Zhou Guanyu’s Alfa Romeo and Kevin Magnessum’s Haas that just lost power in the later stages of the race. The fifth car that joined the Ferrari engine cars in the DNF list was the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll.
Drivers
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The Defending F1 World Champion Max Verstappen (150) extended his lead at the top to 21 points with his teammate Sergio Perez taking P2 in the leaderboard with 129 points. A second DNF in three races took Charles Leclerc down to P3, still stuck on 116 points. George Russel who is yet to finish outside the top 5 in F1 2022 sits fourth in the championship with 99 points, 16 points clear of Carlos Sianz who despite 3 DNFs has managed to bag 83 points so far this season. In 6th, we have the 7-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton with 62 points who is being chased down by his fellow countryman Lando Norris who is just 12 points away. After leaving Mercedes earlier this season, nobody thought Valettri Bottas would bag points in his Alfa Romeo but the Fin has exceeded all expectations and sits 8th with 40 points. Next up on the leaderboard is Estaban Ocon with 31 points so far this season. Lastly, its Pierre Gasly with 16 points to wrap up the top ten of the Driver’s Championship.
Constructors
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A second 1-2 finish for Red Bull Racing saw them stretch their lead to 81 points to their rivals Ferrari who are stuck on 199 points following their double DNF in Baku. A 3-4 finish for Mercedes saw them close their gap to the Italian side to just 38 points. Then a huge 96 point gap separates third placed Mercedes and McLaren who are in P4. In P5, we have Alpine with 46 points with their rivals Alfa Romeo right on their tail with 41 points. Behind them in the constructors’ race are Alpha Tauri in P7 with 27 points after seven rounds. Then comes the Haas F1 team who have done pretty well compared to their previous season with Aston Martin level on points with them. Lastly, it’s Williams who sit at the bottom of the table with just 3 points.
As per the F1 2022 schedule, the roster now travels to the other side of the world, i.e. the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal where Max Verstappen would try to extended his lead in the championship, which won’t be an easy job as the Ferrari’s will seek redemption for such a horrible weekend in Azerbaijan.
[Featured Image Credit: Red Bull Racing]
Shashank Iyer