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Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Azerbaijan GP: Max Verstappen quickest in second practice before crashing
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is live across BBC Radio 5 live, sports extra and the BBC Sport website
Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Baku City Circuit Date: 23-25 June
Coverage: Practice on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, qualifying and race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was in impressive form as he set the pace in second practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Dutchman, who topped both practice sessions on Friday, was 0.1 seconds quicker than Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel were fourth and fifth, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton only 10th.
Renault's Jolyon Palmer crashed at Turn Eight, causing a stoppage for 15 minutes while the car was cleared.
The accident will heap further pressure on the Englishman, who is in danger of losing his drive in mid-season because of his poor form compared to team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.
Renault are set to replace Palmer after the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of July if his form does not improve, with reserve driver Sergey Sirotkin the current favourite to take the seat.
Friday's incident followed a prickly interview between Palmer and BBC reporter Jennie Gow at the pre-event media day on Thursday.
Renault's Cyril Abiteboul said: "We are committed to helping him through this tough period. He has no ultimatum but at the same time he has to deliver."
A Red Bull fastest? What's going on?
Verstappen topped both sessions despite crashing into the barriers during second practice
After Verstappen set the pace in first practice, team boss Christian Horner said he did not expect Red Bull could keep that position as Mercedes and Ferrari upped the pace in second practice.
But the Dutchman's impressive form continued. He was the man to beat throughout the session, setting the pace on both the soft and super-soft tyres.
If Red Bull can keep up their form into the weekend, it would be a major surprise, as they have lagged at least 0.5secs off Mercedes and Ferrari for most of the year.
Baku is a track that should expose the power deficit of the Renault compared to the Mercedes and Ferrari, although this will have been reduced by a Renault upgrade that managing director Abiteboul said was worth 0.2secs a lap.
But even Verstappen became a victim of the low-grip surface and problems keeping the tyres in their operating window - he was one of many drivers to miss their braking point and run into an escape road, in his case at Turn Two.
And he had a late crash, swerving into the barriers at Turn One with a minute to go and damaging both right-hand wheels and suspension and the front and rear wings.
His team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was third fastest, just 0.111secs slower, increasing the impression Red Bull are in an unexpectedly competitive position this weekend.
Raikkonen was only 0.127secs off the pace in fourth and 0.126secs quicker than Vettel.
Williams rookie Lance Stroll was an impressive sixth quickest, two weeks after scoring his first points at his home race in Canada. Team-mate Felipe Massa was 11th after not setting a time on the super-soft tyre.
Sergio Perez crashed in the same place as Jolyon Palmer in the first practice session
Another difficult weekend for Hamilton?
Hamilton had a particularly difficult day, failing to get in a quick time on the super-soft tyre - just as he did in the first session - and ending up 1.163secs off the pace.
The track was difficult for everyone - Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were among the other drivers to visit the escape roads.
But it is not the first time Hamilton has struggled to put a lap together on this kind of low-grip street circuit with big braking zones into right right-angled corners.
It is early in the weekend to draw too many conclusions but at this stage the weekend in Baku has worrying echoes of his races in Russia in April and Singapore last year, when Hamilton had similarly messy weekends and was never in the game. Monaco this year was similarly difficult for him.
"I'm definitely still in the fight for pole, but it is definitely difficult," Hamilton said. "There is a small window that the tyres work in and at this track it seemed the most difficult.
"We know the potential of the car but it is easy be out of the window and not extract it. When you have that there are lots of question marks and only a certain amount of time to answer all of them."
Who has finished where so far of the title contenders this season
Vettel, by contrast, had a solid day. The German, 12 points ahead of Hamilton in the championship, ended up fifth quickest on absolute times, but was very fast on the race-simulation runs later in the session.
Vettel was quickest, but there was little to choose between him, Bottas and Verstappen.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: "Baku is a tricky one because you have to get into the rhythm to gain confidence and heat the tyres properly so they generate grip so you need problem-free runs, little traffic, no yellow flags and he had all that so it was difficult to be quick.
"Most of the cars had problems today. There were many lock-ups and spins, so the track is tricky for all teams and drivers, but being in the right position on the track at the right time is difficult and we weren't the best today on that."
More McLaren woe
McLaren entered the weekend knowing that Alonso and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne would be starting from the back because of penalties for using excessive numbers of engine parts.
But the weekend got off to a bad start when Alonso broke down in the middle of second practice, pulling off after Turn 15 with smoke coming from the back of the car.
The penalties arose from Honda fitting an upgraded MGU-H/turbo for the weekend. The Japanese company was also trying development parts in the engine on Friday.
Alonso had said "engine, engine" over the radio as he pulled off the track, but the team later said it had been a gearbox problem.
Street art taken to a whole new level
Several drivers slid into escape roads around the tight street circuit
Stunning architecture is around every corner in Baku
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is live across BBC Radio 5 live, sports extra and the BBC Sport website
Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Baku City Circuit Date: 23-25 June
Coverage: Practice on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, qualifying and race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was in impressive form as he set the pace in second practice at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Dutchman, who topped both practice sessions on Friday, was 0.1 seconds quicker than Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel were fourth and fifth, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton only 10th.
Renault's Jolyon Palmer crashed at Turn Eight, causing a stoppage for 15 minutes while the car was cleared.
The accident will heap further pressure on the Englishman, who is in danger of losing his drive in mid-season because of his poor form compared to team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.
Renault are set to replace Palmer after the Hungarian Grand Prix at the end of July if his form does not improve, with reserve driver Sergey Sirotkin the current favourite to take the seat.
Friday's incident followed a prickly interview between Palmer and BBC reporter Jennie Gow at the pre-event media day on Thursday.
Renault's Cyril Abiteboul said: "We are committed to helping him through this tough period. He has no ultimatum but at the same time he has to deliver."
A Red Bull fastest? What's going on?
Verstappen topped both sessions despite crashing into the barriers during second practice
After Verstappen set the pace in first practice, team boss Christian Horner said he did not expect Red Bull could keep that position as Mercedes and Ferrari upped the pace in second practice.
But the Dutchman's impressive form continued. He was the man to beat throughout the session, setting the pace on both the soft and super-soft tyres.
If Red Bull can keep up their form into the weekend, it would be a major surprise, as they have lagged at least 0.5secs off Mercedes and Ferrari for most of the year.
Baku is a track that should expose the power deficit of the Renault compared to the Mercedes and Ferrari, although this will have been reduced by a Renault upgrade that managing director Abiteboul said was worth 0.2secs a lap.
But even Verstappen became a victim of the low-grip surface and problems keeping the tyres in their operating window - he was one of many drivers to miss their braking point and run into an escape road, in his case at Turn Two.
And he had a late crash, swerving into the barriers at Turn One with a minute to go and damaging both right-hand wheels and suspension and the front and rear wings.
His team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was third fastest, just 0.111secs slower, increasing the impression Red Bull are in an unexpectedly competitive position this weekend.
Raikkonen was only 0.127secs off the pace in fourth and 0.126secs quicker than Vettel.
Williams rookie Lance Stroll was an impressive sixth quickest, two weeks after scoring his first points at his home race in Canada. Team-mate Felipe Massa was 11th after not setting a time on the super-soft tyre.
Sergio Perez crashed in the same place as Jolyon Palmer in the first practice session
Another difficult weekend for Hamilton?
Hamilton had a particularly difficult day, failing to get in a quick time on the super-soft tyre - just as he did in the first session - and ending up 1.163secs off the pace.
The track was difficult for everyone - Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were among the other drivers to visit the escape roads.
But it is not the first time Hamilton has struggled to put a lap together on this kind of low-grip street circuit with big braking zones into right right-angled corners.
It is early in the weekend to draw too many conclusions but at this stage the weekend in Baku has worrying echoes of his races in Russia in April and Singapore last year, when Hamilton had similarly messy weekends and was never in the game. Monaco this year was similarly difficult for him.
"I'm definitely still in the fight for pole, but it is definitely difficult," Hamilton said. "There is a small window that the tyres work in and at this track it seemed the most difficult.
"We know the potential of the car but it is easy be out of the window and not extract it. When you have that there are lots of question marks and only a certain amount of time to answer all of them."
Who has finished where so far of the title contenders this season
Vettel, by contrast, had a solid day. The German, 12 points ahead of Hamilton in the championship, ended up fifth quickest on absolute times, but was very fast on the race-simulation runs later in the session.
Vettel was quickest, but there was little to choose between him, Bottas and Verstappen.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said: "Baku is a tricky one because you have to get into the rhythm to gain confidence and heat the tyres properly so they generate grip so you need problem-free runs, little traffic, no yellow flags and he had all that so it was difficult to be quick.
"Most of the cars had problems today. There were many lock-ups and spins, so the track is tricky for all teams and drivers, but being in the right position on the track at the right time is difficult and we weren't the best today on that."
More McLaren woe
McLaren entered the weekend knowing that Alonso and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne would be starting from the back because of penalties for using excessive numbers of engine parts.
But the weekend got off to a bad start when Alonso broke down in the middle of second practice, pulling off after Turn 15 with smoke coming from the back of the car.
The penalties arose from Honda fitting an upgraded MGU-H/turbo for the weekend. The Japanese company was also trying development parts in the engine on Friday.
Alonso had said "engine, engine" over the radio as he pulled off the track, but the team later said it had been a gearbox problem.
Street art taken to a whole new level
Several drivers slid into escape roads around the tight street circuit
Stunning architecture is around every corner in Baku
Swami
Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton on pole in Baku
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Baku City Circuit Date: 23-25 June
Coverage: Race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning last-gasp lap in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to beat team-mate Valtteri Bottas to pole.
The Briton made a mistake on his first lap when he looked set to go fastest and a red flag looked like it might have cost him a chance of pole.
The session was restarted with enough time for one lap and Hamilton beat his Mercedes team-mate by 0.434 seconds.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel will start third and fourth.
An anxious wait for Hamilton - and then boom
Hamilton had struggled through the practice sessions in Baku but found his form at the start of qualifying and was comfortably quickest in both the first and second sessions.
But on his first lap in the top 10 shootout Hamilton ran wide at the final real corner, Turn 16, on to the long pit straight and lost half a second in the final sector as a result. He was just 0.15secs behind Bottas.
Hamilton was planning a second lap when Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo slid into the wall at Turn Six and forced the session to be stopped while marshals recovered his car.
After equalling Ayrton Senna's pole record in Canada, Lewis Hamilton is now just two behind Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 68.
There were just three and a half minutes left - time for just one more lap when it takes two minutes to get out of the pits and round to the start line on F1's second longest track.
But in a thrilling conclusion, Hamilton produced a peach of a lap that gave him a big margin over the field.
"That was one of the most exciting laps I've had all year and a lot of pressure," Hamilton said.
"The first lap I easily had the time but I made a mistake in the last corner. It was all or nothing but the lap just got better and better throughout.
"I saw Valtteri ahead and knew he was doing a good lap. I was like, 'please be enough'. I am ecstatic.
"I am so pumped with that. That's how qualifying should be. It is going to be a long, hard race but we are in the best position to start."
Ferrari fight back
Vettel, who starts the race 12 points ahead of Hamilton in the championship, salvaged a decent position in fourth after a difficult day.
He lost most of final practice because of a hydraulics problem and Ferrari had to do a last-minute engine change before qualifying.
Ferrari fitted an old-specification engine, the first one he used this season, which has less power than the newer engine he was meant to use, and Vettel was never close to the Mercedes pace.
Some corners of the tight and twisty circuit in Baku are only 7.6 metres wide
Despite the extenuating circumstances, Ferrari may well be concerned by the size of the margin to Mercedes - Hamilton was 1.1secs quicker than Raikkonen, with Vettel 0.148secs behind his team-mate.
Vettel said: "We were not quick enough. The gap to Mercedes in front was bigger than anyone expected."
But he added that he expected to be able to challenge for the win.
"Mercedes will also be quick, but I have no doubts that we can be a match," he said.
Who has finished where so far of the title contenders this season
Red Bull challenge fades
For much of qualifying, Red Bull's Max Verstappen looked the closest challenger to Mercedes, but he was left breathless as the top two teams turned up their engines into qualifying mode.
Verstappen said he had lost 0.3secs on his final lap because of a gear shift problem on the main straight and felt he could have been third fastest.
The two Force Indias were next, Sergio Perez just pipping Esteban Ocon by 0.075secs, and behind them rookie Lance Stroll out-qualified Williams team-mate Felipe Massa for the first time this season, by just 0.045secs.
More woe for McLaren
McLaren already knew they would be starting from the back after a plethora of engine penalties for both drivers even before the weekend started.
But they did not even have the consolation of a decent performance on track - Fernando Alonso was knocked out in first qualifying for the first time this season in 16th place, with team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne qualifying slowest, 0.7secs behind.
The only glimmer of good news was that they will not be right at the back - Jolyon Palmer will be behind them after not being able to take part in qualifying because of an engine fire in final practice.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the BBC
Venue: Baku City Circuit Date: 23-25 June
Coverage: Race on BBC Radio 5 live. Live text commentary, leaderboard and imagery on BBC Sport website and app.
Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning last-gasp lap in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to beat team-mate Valtteri Bottas to pole.
The Briton made a mistake on his first lap when he looked set to go fastest and a red flag looked like it might have cost him a chance of pole.
The session was restarted with enough time for one lap and Hamilton beat his Mercedes team-mate by 0.434 seconds.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel will start third and fourth.
An anxious wait for Hamilton - and then boom
Hamilton had struggled through the practice sessions in Baku but found his form at the start of qualifying and was comfortably quickest in both the first and second sessions.
But on his first lap in the top 10 shootout Hamilton ran wide at the final real corner, Turn 16, on to the long pit straight and lost half a second in the final sector as a result. He was just 0.15secs behind Bottas.
Hamilton was planning a second lap when Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo slid into the wall at Turn Six and forced the session to be stopped while marshals recovered his car.
After equalling Ayrton Senna's pole record in Canada, Lewis Hamilton is now just two behind Michael Schumacher's all-time record of 68.
There were just three and a half minutes left - time for just one more lap when it takes two minutes to get out of the pits and round to the start line on F1's second longest track.
But in a thrilling conclusion, Hamilton produced a peach of a lap that gave him a big margin over the field.
"That was one of the most exciting laps I've had all year and a lot of pressure," Hamilton said.
"The first lap I easily had the time but I made a mistake in the last corner. It was all or nothing but the lap just got better and better throughout.
"I saw Valtteri ahead and knew he was doing a good lap. I was like, 'please be enough'. I am ecstatic.
"I am so pumped with that. That's how qualifying should be. It is going to be a long, hard race but we are in the best position to start."
Ferrari fight back
Vettel, who starts the race 12 points ahead of Hamilton in the championship, salvaged a decent position in fourth after a difficult day.
He lost most of final practice because of a hydraulics problem and Ferrari had to do a last-minute engine change before qualifying.
Ferrari fitted an old-specification engine, the first one he used this season, which has less power than the newer engine he was meant to use, and Vettel was never close to the Mercedes pace.
Some corners of the tight and twisty circuit in Baku are only 7.6 metres wide
Despite the extenuating circumstances, Ferrari may well be concerned by the size of the margin to Mercedes - Hamilton was 1.1secs quicker than Raikkonen, with Vettel 0.148secs behind his team-mate.
Vettel said: "We were not quick enough. The gap to Mercedes in front was bigger than anyone expected."
But he added that he expected to be able to challenge for the win.
"Mercedes will also be quick, but I have no doubts that we can be a match," he said.
Who has finished where so far of the title contenders this season
Red Bull challenge fades
For much of qualifying, Red Bull's Max Verstappen looked the closest challenger to Mercedes, but he was left breathless as the top two teams turned up their engines into qualifying mode.
Verstappen said he had lost 0.3secs on his final lap because of a gear shift problem on the main straight and felt he could have been third fastest.
The two Force Indias were next, Sergio Perez just pipping Esteban Ocon by 0.075secs, and behind them rookie Lance Stroll out-qualified Williams team-mate Felipe Massa for the first time this season, by just 0.045secs.
More woe for McLaren
McLaren already knew they would be starting from the back after a plethora of engine penalties for both drivers even before the weekend started.
But they did not even have the consolation of a decent performance on track - Fernando Alonso was knocked out in first qualifying for the first time this season in 16th place, with team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne qualifying slowest, 0.7secs behind.
The only glimmer of good news was that they will not be right at the back - Jolyon Palmer will be behind them after not being able to take part in qualifying because of an engine fire in final practice.
Swami
Swami
Telly Talk Supreme
Azerbaijan GP: Sebastian Vettel hits Lewis Hamilton as Daniel Ricciardo wins
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Sebastian Vettel was penalised for driving into Lewis Hamilton in a chaotic and incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix but the German still extended his title lead as a loose head restraint cost the Briton victory.
A remarkable race that featured three safety cars and several crashes, including clashes between team-mates, was won by Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.
Vettel was given a 10-second stop-go penalty for swerving into Hamilton's Mercedes as they prepared for a re-start at the end of one of three safety car periods.
But the time Hamilton lost being forced to pit for a new head restraint put him behind Vettel. He followed him past a number of cars as they recovered positions, and closed up as the race entered its final lap, but the Englishman was not able to pass.
Hamilton ended up finishing fifth, a place behind Ferrari's Vettel, and lost two points to the German. He is 14 points behind after eight of 21 races.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who was last and lapped after the first lap, passed Williams driver Lance Stroll for second on the final straight as the 18-year-old Canadian scored his first podium in his eighth race after a mature drive.
Road rage: The moment Hamilton and Vettel collided for the second time
The controversial incident between Hamilton and Vettel happened as they prepared for the re-start after the second safety car period.
Vettel ran into the back of Hamilton as he accelerated out of Turn 15, the penultimate corner, damaging his front wing. The German then pulled alongside Hamilton's Mercedes and drove into it, banging wheels.
Vettel told his team over the radio that he believed Hamilton had deliberately slowed, saying: "He brake-tested me. What the hell is going on?"
Hamilton told his Mercedes engineers: "Vettel literally just came alongside me and hit me."
When he was told of the penalty, Vettel said: "Tell me when I did dangerous driving." Ferrari told him they would discuss it after the race.
Hamilton said over the radio, addressing his remarks directly at race director Charlie Whiting, that he believed a 10-second penalty was "not enough for driving behaviour like that - you know that, Charlie."
The race slips away from Hamilton
It was a cruel end to Hamilton's Baku race
Before the stewards delivered their verdict on Vettel's driving, Hamilton's race had already fallen apart.
He had controlled it from the start, despite the chaos behind him, and was leading Vettel by 2.5 seconds after 28 of 51 laps when the cockpit head restraint padding that protects the drivers from impacts began to lift on the straight.
His race engineer asked him to try to push it back down again but he was unable to force it into position and Mercedes were ordered to pit Hamilton to fix a restraint into position.
He rejoined in eighth place and fought his way up past Esteban Ocon's Force India, McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen before the end.
Safety car after safety car
Ricciardo was handed victory by the problems of Hamilton and Vettel but he also had to earn it.
He dropped to 17th early in the race with an unscheduled pit stop to clear debris from his brake ducts - but fought his way back up to 10th by the time of the first safety car period.
The chaos of the next two promoted him to fifth, thanks to some aggressive overtaking by the Australian, between Stroll and the other Williams of Felipe Massa, then he passed Stroll into Turn One at the final restart as Massa dropped out with a broken damper.
Stroll hung on for a few laps but Ricciardo eventually edged away to win by four seconds as Stroll was caught by Bottas on the final straight after a superb recovery by the Finn.
The red flag was shown in lap 23 with debris strewn over the track after multiple collisions
Bottas had been lapped at the end of the first lap following a collision between himself and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the second corner, Bottas bouncing over the kerb and into his fellow Finn, damaging both cars.
But the first safety car period allowed him to un-lap himself and he drove well to pick his way through the field after that.
The first safety car period happened because of a mundane reason - Daniil Kvyat's Toro Rosso had broken down and stopped in a dangerous place and needed to be recovered.
But it set up a domino effect at the restarts.
At the first attempt to re-start on lap 17, Vettel was challenged for second by Force India's Sergio Perez, and behind them the second Force India of Esteban Ocon and Raikkonen were side by side with the Finn losing some bodywork.
That and a number of other brushes between cars left debris on the track and the race was immediately stopped for it to be cleared.
The marshals had a job to keep up with the number of incidents
The safety car was out for another two laps, but just before the second re-start Hamilton and Vettel clashed.
Then, as the race re-started, the Force India drivers collided as they tried to accelerate out of Turn two side-by-side, creating a whole load more debris, and the safety car was immediately deployed again.
The incident is likely to cause further recriminations at the team, where there was a dispute about team orders at the previous race in Canada.
Two laps later, Alonso went on to the radio to say the race should be red-flagged because there was so much debris. "This circuit is too fast to have this risk," he said.
Shortly afterwards, the red flag was thrown and the race stopped for 15 minutes.
At the re-start Nico Hulkenberg looked set for a strong finish in the Renault, running sixth and threatening Magnussen, but he made a critical error in misjudging Turn Seven, breaking his right front wheel on the inside wall.
Ocon recovered from the clash with Perez to take a solid sixth ahead of Magnussen, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz and Alonso, who scored McLaren-Honda's first points of the season despite losing battery power in the closing laps.
Ricciardo's team-mate Max Verstappen retired early from fourth place with an engine failure.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer
Sebastian Vettel was penalised for driving into Lewis Hamilton in a chaotic and incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix but the German still extended his title lead as a loose head restraint cost the Briton victory.
A remarkable race that featured three safety cars and several crashes, including clashes between team-mates, was won by Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.
Vettel was given a 10-second stop-go penalty for swerving into Hamilton's Mercedes as they prepared for a re-start at the end of one of three safety car periods.
But the time Hamilton lost being forced to pit for a new head restraint put him behind Vettel. He followed him past a number of cars as they recovered positions, and closed up as the race entered its final lap, but the Englishman was not able to pass.
Hamilton ended up finishing fifth, a place behind Ferrari's Vettel, and lost two points to the German. He is 14 points behind after eight of 21 races.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who was last and lapped after the first lap, passed Williams driver Lance Stroll for second on the final straight as the 18-year-old Canadian scored his first podium in his eighth race after a mature drive.
- Hamilton brands Vettel 'a disgrace' after collision
- Relive how Ricciardo won a chaotic Azerbaijan GP
- Azerbaijan GP race result
- Listen: 'He brake tested me..What the ?!' - Vettel
- Listen: Hamilton and Vettel collide
Road rage: The moment Hamilton and Vettel collided for the second time
The controversial incident between Hamilton and Vettel happened as they prepared for the re-start after the second safety car period.
Vettel ran into the back of Hamilton as he accelerated out of Turn 15, the penultimate corner, damaging his front wing. The German then pulled alongside Hamilton's Mercedes and drove into it, banging wheels.
Vettel told his team over the radio that he believed Hamilton had deliberately slowed, saying: "He brake-tested me. What the hell is going on?"
Hamilton told his Mercedes engineers: "Vettel literally just came alongside me and hit me."
When he was told of the penalty, Vettel said: "Tell me when I did dangerous driving." Ferrari told him they would discuss it after the race.
Hamilton said over the radio, addressing his remarks directly at race director Charlie Whiting, that he believed a 10-second penalty was "not enough for driving behaviour like that - you know that, Charlie."
The race slips away from Hamilton
It was a cruel end to Hamilton's Baku race
Before the stewards delivered their verdict on Vettel's driving, Hamilton's race had already fallen apart.
He had controlled it from the start, despite the chaos behind him, and was leading Vettel by 2.5 seconds after 28 of 51 laps when the cockpit head restraint padding that protects the drivers from impacts began to lift on the straight.
His race engineer asked him to try to push it back down again but he was unable to force it into position and Mercedes were ordered to pit Hamilton to fix a restraint into position.
He rejoined in eighth place and fought his way up past Esteban Ocon's Force India, McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen before the end.
Safety car after safety car
Ricciardo was handed victory by the problems of Hamilton and Vettel but he also had to earn it.
He dropped to 17th early in the race with an unscheduled pit stop to clear debris from his brake ducts - but fought his way back up to 10th by the time of the first safety car period.
The chaos of the next two promoted him to fifth, thanks to some aggressive overtaking by the Australian, between Stroll and the other Williams of Felipe Massa, then he passed Stroll into Turn One at the final restart as Massa dropped out with a broken damper.
Stroll hung on for a few laps but Ricciardo eventually edged away to win by four seconds as Stroll was caught by Bottas on the final straight after a superb recovery by the Finn.
The red flag was shown in lap 23 with debris strewn over the track after multiple collisions
Bottas had been lapped at the end of the first lap following a collision between himself and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at the second corner, Bottas bouncing over the kerb and into his fellow Finn, damaging both cars.
But the first safety car period allowed him to un-lap himself and he drove well to pick his way through the field after that.
The first safety car period happened because of a mundane reason - Daniil Kvyat's Toro Rosso had broken down and stopped in a dangerous place and needed to be recovered.
But it set up a domino effect at the restarts.
At the first attempt to re-start on lap 17, Vettel was challenged for second by Force India's Sergio Perez, and behind them the second Force India of Esteban Ocon and Raikkonen were side by side with the Finn losing some bodywork.
That and a number of other brushes between cars left debris on the track and the race was immediately stopped for it to be cleared.
The marshals had a job to keep up with the number of incidents
The safety car was out for another two laps, but just before the second re-start Hamilton and Vettel clashed.
Then, as the race re-started, the Force India drivers collided as they tried to accelerate out of Turn two side-by-side, creating a whole load more debris, and the safety car was immediately deployed again.
The incident is likely to cause further recriminations at the team, where there was a dispute about team orders at the previous race in Canada.
Two laps later, Alonso went on to the radio to say the race should be red-flagged because there was so much debris. "This circuit is too fast to have this risk," he said.
Shortly afterwards, the red flag was thrown and the race stopped for 15 minutes.
At the re-start Nico Hulkenberg looked set for a strong finish in the Renault, running sixth and threatening Magnussen, but he made a critical error in misjudging Turn Seven, breaking his right front wheel on the inside wall.
Ocon recovered from the clash with Perez to take a solid sixth ahead of Magnussen, Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz and Alonso, who scored McLaren-Honda's first points of the season despite losing battery power in the closing laps.
Ricciardo's team-mate Max Verstappen retired early from fourth place with an engine failure.
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Telly Talk Supreme
Sebastian Vettel: FIA could take further action over Lewis Hamilton collision
By Andrew Benson
The incident that started it all: Vettel alleged Hamilton 'brake-tested' him when the race was restarted after a red flag
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel could face further punishment for his collision with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Governing body the FIA is to hold a meeting on 3 July to "further examine the causes of the incident to evaluate whether further action is necessary".
The outcome will be made public before the Austrian Grand Prix on 7-9 July.
Vettel was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty and three points on his licence for driving into Hamilton.
It is understood Hamilton's driving in the incident is not in question and the hearing will focus on Vettel's behaviour.
The moment two heavyweights come to blows
The FIA warned Vettel after an incident in the Mexican Grand Prix last year - when he swore over the radio at race director Charlie Whiting - that he could face a tribunal in the event of any future incident of a similar nature.
In Azerbaijan, Vettel accused Hamilton of 'brake-testing' - deliberately slowing in front of him - as they prepared for a re-start behind a safety car.
Vettel then pulled alongside Hamilton and drove his car into the Mercedes so they banged wheels.
Hamilton's car telemetry data was analysed by the stewards on Sunday and he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
The four stewards in Azerbaijan spent some minutes contemplating what was the most suitable punishment for Vettel.
They had no doubt Vettel had driven into Hamilton on purpose in a fit of pique.
They chose the second-most severe form of punishment - a 10-second stop-and-go penalty. The only tougher option was disqualification which it was considered, on balance, Vettel's actions did not deserve.
Some have argued the stewards got it wrong and Vettel should have been kicked out of the race.
But it is also clear the penalty has appeared less severe because, as it turned out, Vettel ended up finishing ahead of Hamilton and extending his championship lead.
The Mercedes driver had to pit to have a loose headrest replaced and came out of the pits behind Vettel.
Had Hamilton not had this problem, he would have won the race with Vettel in fifth and the Mercedes driver would have taken the championship lead by three points, rather than seeing his deficit extend to 14.
Insiders are suggesting that FIA president Jean Todt is perturbed by Vettel's behaviour. Only he has the power to call a new hearing, as has been done in this case.
Has Vettel got disciplinary problems?
Vettel has an immediate problem in the wake of the three penalty points he was given in Baku in addition to the stop-and-go penalty. He now has nine on his licence - and 12 in a 12-month period means an automatic race ban.
The first two of those nine points were for forcing Felipe Massa's Williams off the track at last year's British Grand Prix, so they are soon to drop off Vettel's licence - but not before the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend.
So Vettel will have to avoid any further controversy at the Red Bull Ring or he could end up missing the British Grand Prix.
Beyond that, this is the second road-rage incident from Vettel in the past eight months - the first being when, antagonised by the driving of Red Bull's Max Verstappen in Mexico, he swore at race director Whiting.
He apologised to Whiting in person after the race and did so again in letters to both Whiting and FIA president Todt later that week.
However, he was warned further action could be taken if he behaved in a similar fashion again and that is what has happened here.
The collision with Hamilton was Vettel's second road-rage incident in the past eight months
Did Hamilton do anything wrong?
The red-flag period gave the race stewards in Baku the chance to properly analyse telemetry data from Hamilton's car.
They looked at his behaviour at all three safety-car restarts and concluded the Mercedes driver did nothing wrong. The FIA said he did not brake or lift off excessively and maintained a more or less constant speed.
The language in that statement leaves room for doubt as to whether Hamilton slowed down before Vettel hit him.
Some on social media have reacted to on-board video from Hamilton's car, claiming telemetry graphics indicated he did brake shortly before the initial impact, and used it as evidence that Vettel was right to accuse Hamilton of 'brake-testing' him.
But the video does not show this. Close analysis of the footage shows Hamilton is slowing as he approaches the apex of the corner, and keeps the brakes on lightly past the apex. His minimum speed is 51km/h as he exits the corner. But he has come off the brakes and is coasting before Vettel hits him.
At this point, Hamilton was preparing for the restart, and managing his gap to Vettel while bunching up the pack, trying to ensure he had the most advantageous position. As the leader, that is his prerogative.
The FIA says there was no heavy braking or anything contrary to the rules.
What do others within F1 think?
As one senior source said: "Seb was not expecting it and he should have been. He accelerated anticipating Lewis would too. But Lewis had a clear view of the safety car ahead of him with its lights off. Why would he accelerate? He wants to get a gap (to the safety car), plus it's his right to control the pace."
Former F1 driver and David Coulthard agreed, saying in his Channel 4 commentary: "Hamilton hasn't accelerated then decelerated, he has kept a constant pace. Sebastian has misjudged it and then in his anger made contact with Hamilton.
"I don't think there is any part of that you can point a finger at Hamilton and say he has done something wrong. Vettel was anticipating what he would do, forgetting the fact the lead car can control the pace."
The eventual race winner, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, also backed this view.
Swami
By Andrew Benson
The incident that started it all: Vettel alleged Hamilton 'brake-tested' him when the race was restarted after a red flag
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel could face further punishment for his collision with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Governing body the FIA is to hold a meeting on 3 July to "further examine the causes of the incident to evaluate whether further action is necessary".
The outcome will be made public before the Austrian Grand Prix on 7-9 July.
Vettel was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty and three points on his licence for driving into Hamilton.
It is understood Hamilton's driving in the incident is not in question and the hearing will focus on Vettel's behaviour.
The moment two heavyweights come to blows
The FIA warned Vettel after an incident in the Mexican Grand Prix last year - when he swore over the radio at race director Charlie Whiting - that he could face a tribunal in the event of any future incident of a similar nature.
In Azerbaijan, Vettel accused Hamilton of 'brake-testing' - deliberately slowing in front of him - as they prepared for a re-start behind a safety car.
Vettel then pulled alongside Hamilton and drove his car into the Mercedes so they banged wheels.
Hamilton's car telemetry data was analysed by the stewards on Sunday and he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
- Vettel crash 'like headbutt in football'
- 'F1 2017 just got nasty - and it's Vettel's fault'
- Vettel should think before he acts - Ricciardo
The four stewards in Azerbaijan spent some minutes contemplating what was the most suitable punishment for Vettel.
They had no doubt Vettel had driven into Hamilton on purpose in a fit of pique.
They chose the second-most severe form of punishment - a 10-second stop-and-go penalty. The only tougher option was disqualification which it was considered, on balance, Vettel's actions did not deserve.
Some have argued the stewards got it wrong and Vettel should have been kicked out of the race.
But it is also clear the penalty has appeared less severe because, as it turned out, Vettel ended up finishing ahead of Hamilton and extending his championship lead.
The Mercedes driver had to pit to have a loose headrest replaced and came out of the pits behind Vettel.
Had Hamilton not had this problem, he would have won the race with Vettel in fifth and the Mercedes driver would have taken the championship lead by three points, rather than seeing his deficit extend to 14.
Insiders are suggesting that FIA president Jean Todt is perturbed by Vettel's behaviour. Only he has the power to call a new hearing, as has been done in this case.
Has Vettel got disciplinary problems?
Vettel has an immediate problem in the wake of the three penalty points he was given in Baku in addition to the stop-and-go penalty. He now has nine on his licence - and 12 in a 12-month period means an automatic race ban.
The first two of those nine points were for forcing Felipe Massa's Williams off the track at last year's British Grand Prix, so they are soon to drop off Vettel's licence - but not before the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend.
So Vettel will have to avoid any further controversy at the Red Bull Ring or he could end up missing the British Grand Prix.
Beyond that, this is the second road-rage incident from Vettel in the past eight months - the first being when, antagonised by the driving of Red Bull's Max Verstappen in Mexico, he swore at race director Whiting.
He apologised to Whiting in person after the race and did so again in letters to both Whiting and FIA president Todt later that week.
However, he was warned further action could be taken if he behaved in a similar fashion again and that is what has happened here.
The collision with Hamilton was Vettel's second road-rage incident in the past eight months
Did Hamilton do anything wrong?
The red-flag period gave the race stewards in Baku the chance to properly analyse telemetry data from Hamilton's car.
They looked at his behaviour at all three safety-car restarts and concluded the Mercedes driver did nothing wrong. The FIA said he did not brake or lift off excessively and maintained a more or less constant speed.
The language in that statement leaves room for doubt as to whether Hamilton slowed down before Vettel hit him.
Some on social media have reacted to on-board video from Hamilton's car, claiming telemetry graphics indicated he did brake shortly before the initial impact, and used it as evidence that Vettel was right to accuse Hamilton of 'brake-testing' him.
But the video does not show this. Close analysis of the footage shows Hamilton is slowing as he approaches the apex of the corner, and keeps the brakes on lightly past the apex. His minimum speed is 51km/h as he exits the corner. But he has come off the brakes and is coasting before Vettel hits him.
At this point, Hamilton was preparing for the restart, and managing his gap to Vettel while bunching up the pack, trying to ensure he had the most advantageous position. As the leader, that is his prerogative.
The FIA says there was no heavy braking or anything contrary to the rules.
What do others within F1 think?
As one senior source said: "Seb was not expecting it and he should have been. He accelerated anticipating Lewis would too. But Lewis had a clear view of the safety car ahead of him with its lights off. Why would he accelerate? He wants to get a gap (to the safety car), plus it's his right to control the pace."
Former F1 driver and David Coulthard agreed, saying in his Channel 4 commentary: "Hamilton hasn't accelerated then decelerated, he has kept a constant pace. Sebastian has misjudged it and then in his anger made contact with Hamilton.
"I don't think there is any part of that you can point a finger at Hamilton and say he has done something wrong. Vettel was anticipating what he would do, forgetting the fact the lead car can control the pace."
The eventual race winner, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, also backed this view.
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Telly Talk Supreme
Sebastian Vettel to face no further punishment after Azerbaijan GP collision
Vettel said of the incident: "I have no doubt he brake-checked me. I didn't run into the back of him on purpose"
Sebastian Vettel will face no further action after his collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, met Vettel and Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene in Paris on Monday.
The 29-year-old four-time world champion admitted full responsibility for the incident, which happened during the race in Baku on 25 June.
Vettel "has extended his sincere apologies to the FIA and the wider motorsport family", the FIA said.
Championship leader Vettel accused Hamilton of 'brake-testing' - deliberately slowing in front of him - as they prepared for a restart behind a safety car.
Vettel then pulled alongside Hamilton and drove his car into the Mercedes so they banged wheels.
The German was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty during the race after being found guilty of dangerous driving.
Hamilton, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, said Vettel's driving was "disgusting" and "not sportsman's conduct".
Vettel finished a place ahead of Hamilton in fourth extending his championship lead to 14 points after the Briton was forced to pit to change a loose head restraint.
'The matter should be closed'
The FIA held a meeting on Monday to "further examine the causes of the incident to evaluate whether further action is necessary".
It said in a statement: "Following detailed discussion and further examination of video and data evidence related to the incident, Sebastian Vettel admitted full responsibility.
"Sebastian Vettel extended his sincere apologies to the FIA and the wider motorsport family. He additionally committed to devote personal time over the next 12 months to educational activities across a variety of FIA championships and events.
"The FIA notes this commitment, the personal apology made by Sebastian Vettel and his pledge to make that apology public.
"In light of these developments, FIA president Jean Todt decided that on this occasion the matter should be closed."
Vettel's statement in full
"Concerning the incidents of Baku I'd like to explain myself: During the re-start lap, I got surprised by Lewis and ran into the back of his car.
"With hindsight, I don't believe he had any bad intentions. In the heat of the action I then overreacted, and therefore I want to apologise to Lewis directly, as well as to all the people who were watching the race. I realise that I was not setting a good example.
"I had no intention at any time to put Lewis in danger, but I understand that I caused a dangerous situation.
"Therefore, I would like to apologise to the FIA. I accept and respect the decisions that were taken at today's meeting in Paris, as well as the penalty imposed by the stewards in Baku.
"I love this sport and I am determined to represent it in a way that can be an example for future generations."
Swami
Vettel said of the incident: "I have no doubt he brake-checked me. I didn't run into the back of him on purpose"
Sebastian Vettel will face no further action after his collision with Lewis Hamilton at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, met Vettel and Ferrari team principal Maurizio Arrivabene in Paris on Monday.
The 29-year-old four-time world champion admitted full responsibility for the incident, which happened during the race in Baku on 25 June.
Vettel "has extended his sincere apologies to the FIA and the wider motorsport family", the FIA said.
- Hamilton calls Sebastian Vettel 'a disgrace'
- Vettel crash 'like headbutt in football'
- 'F1 2017 just got nasty - and it's Vettel's fault'
- Listen: Hamilton and Vettel collide
Championship leader Vettel accused Hamilton of 'brake-testing' - deliberately slowing in front of him - as they prepared for a restart behind a safety car.
Vettel then pulled alongside Hamilton and drove his car into the Mercedes so they banged wheels.
The German was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty during the race after being found guilty of dangerous driving.
Hamilton, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, said Vettel's driving was "disgusting" and "not sportsman's conduct".
Vettel finished a place ahead of Hamilton in fourth extending his championship lead to 14 points after the Briton was forced to pit to change a loose head restraint.
'The matter should be closed'
The FIA held a meeting on Monday to "further examine the causes of the incident to evaluate whether further action is necessary".
It said in a statement: "Following detailed discussion and further examination of video and data evidence related to the incident, Sebastian Vettel admitted full responsibility.
"Sebastian Vettel extended his sincere apologies to the FIA and the wider motorsport family. He additionally committed to devote personal time over the next 12 months to educational activities across a variety of FIA championships and events.
"The FIA notes this commitment, the personal apology made by Sebastian Vettel and his pledge to make that apology public.
"In light of these developments, FIA president Jean Todt decided that on this occasion the matter should be closed."
Vettel's statement in full
"Concerning the incidents of Baku I'd like to explain myself: During the re-start lap, I got surprised by Lewis and ran into the back of his car.
"With hindsight, I don't believe he had any bad intentions. In the heat of the action I then overreacted, and therefore I want to apologise to Lewis directly, as well as to all the people who were watching the race. I realise that I was not setting a good example.
"I had no intention at any time to put Lewis in danger, but I understand that I caused a dangerous situation.
"Therefore, I would like to apologise to the FIA. I accept and respect the decisions that were taken at today's meeting in Paris, as well as the penalty imposed by the stewards in Baku.
"I love this sport and I am determined to represent it in a way that can be an example for future generations."
Swami