Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan GP after Max Verstappen crashes from lead
Sergio Perez received the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a two-lap shootout after championship chief Max Verstappen crashed whereas main with a tire failure and Lewis Hamilton went off target making an attempt to grab the win on the standing restart.
Verstappen was 4 laps away from a second consecutive victory Sunday when his Crimson Bull instantly slammed onerous into the wall with a puncture to his left rear tire. The Dutchman climbed from his automotive, inspected the tire and kicked it in anger earlier than stomping off in disgust over the race-changing failure.
“Is he OK?” radioed rival and seven-time champion Hamilton.
Verstappen was high-quality however Crimson Bull was livid over a second failure of a Pirelli tire within the race and requested for a stoppage to permit tire modifications for security causes. Lance Stroll had crashed earlier within the race after his personal sudden tire failure.
System One red-flagged the race and introduced the sector to pit lane earlier than deciding to renew with a standing begin for a two-lap dash to the end.
Perez was the chief however Hamilton shot previous him in his try and win the race and reclaim the factors lead from Verstappen. However he didn’t brake within the first nook and his Mercedes slid off observe. Hamilton dropped to 15th, snapping a streak of 54 consecutive races of incomes a factors place end.
“So sorry, guys,” he advised the staff.
4-time champion Sebastian Vettel took second for Aston Martin after a powerful drive after qualifying 11th. Pierre Gasly was third for AlphaTauri.
Sunday’s race was the second red-flagged F1 spherical of the yr after Valtteri Bottas and George Russell crashed at Imola in April, and the longest suspension since a fiery crash for Romain Grosjean in Bahrain final yr brought on the race to be stopped greater than an hour.
It was the second profession win for Perez, who’s in his first season with Crimson Bull and it considerably salvaged the race for the staff that had been headed towards a 1-2 end earlier than Verstappen’s tire failed.