2018 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton takes his first win of the season, with Raikkonen and Pérez on the podium

Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix we said you had to look back several years to find, at this stage of the season, a win for the Mercedes. And if we spoke too soon, the German team’s bad run is finally broken, thanks to a surprising victory by Lewis Hamilton in the race at the Baku City Circuit.

The win was a surprise because the big favourite was Sebastian Vettel. First, because the German had taken pole position quite convincingly. And second, because he led for most of the race. Seb Vettel’s luck changed when the safety car came out after the accident that took Verstappen and Ricciardo out. The two Red Bull drivers had been battling for much of the race, and the duel ultimately ended with both of them retiring.

Valtteri Bottas seized the moment and moved into first. Vettel desperately tried to snatch the lead from him, but he got over-eager with his tyres and ended up running wide, bidding farewell to his chances of victory. Bottas was breathing easy, but his luck ran out: he suffered an unexpected puncture that forced him to retire, handing the win on a plate to Lewis Hamilton, the Briton’s first of the year.

In this crazy finale, Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Pérez also came out winners, as they joined Hamilton on the podium in Baku. For the Mexican, who did not have an easy start to the race, it is his third podium of the season, and this Azerbaijan result is his first of the year and his best since June 2016, when he finished in the same position at the European Grand Prix.

Both Spanish drivers also finished in the points. Carlos Sainz was the higher of the two, fifth in his best race of the season so far, while Fernando Alonso finished seventh. A great result considering the Asturian came close to retiring after a collision with Sirotkin and had flat tyres as a result.

The final classification of the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was as follows:

It was a perfect weekend for Lewis Hamilton because with this win he moves into the lead of the World Championship. The British driver now has 70 points and leads by 4 the man who has led the championship since day one, Sebastian Vettel. Raikkonen overtakes Bottas to take third with 48 points, against the 40 of the German. Ricciardo is fifth with 37 points, Alonso is sixth with 28 points and Sainz rounds out the top 10 with 13 points.

The next date on the 2018 Formula 1 World Championship calendar will be the Spanish Grand Prix, at the Circuit de Catalunya. This Grand Prix will take place on 11, 12 and 13 May.