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The F1 Azerbaijan GP featured Max Verstappen scoring his fifth win of the season as Red Bull secured another 1-2 finish this season. The race had some 'feel good' moments and some heartbreaking moments for fans. Charles Leclerc rolling back into the pits after a power unit failure was tough to watch, while Daniel Ricciardo's return to form is just what F1 fans needed after recent speculation over the Australian's future in the sport.
Having said that, the F1 Azerbaijan GP weekend was filled with some rather interesting statistics. In case you missed them over the weekend, here are some notable ones.
#1 Charles Leclerc is the first to score 2 consecutive poles at the F1 Azerbaijan GP
The Azerbaijan GP made its debut in 2016 and has since earned a reputation for producing thrilling races. One rather interesting statistic about the race is the lack of continued success for the drivers. In five races before the one in 2022, the circuit had five different pole sitters.
Nico Rosberg took pole in 2016, Lewis Hamilton in 2017, Sebastian Vettel in 2018, and Valtteri Bottas in 2019. Charles Leclerc bagged pole position in both 2021 and 2022, thereby becoming the first driver to score two consecutive poles at the venue.
#2 Sergio Perez is the first teammate to outqualify Max Verstappen twice in a row since 2018
It is a rare sight to see Max Verstappen losing out to a teammate in qualifying, which is why it was surprising when he was outqualified by his teammate in Monaco and then again in Baku.
The reigning world champion has maintained a certain level of dominance over his teammates over the years, as was witnessed when last weekend was the first time since 2018 that he had been outqualified by a teammate twice in a row. The Dutchman has not been as comfortable in the RB18 as his teammate is and it is starting show, at least in qualifying.
#3 George Russell has the longest joint winning streak over Hamilton (tied with Rosberg)
A lot has been made of Lewis Hamilton being unable to match or beat George Russell this season. Mercedes claimed that the seven-time world champion is running a different setup to Russell's, hence, he has a more experimental car.
The young Briton has been able to accumulate a seven-race winning streak over his illustrious teammate this, a number that only his former teammate Nico Rosberg has been able to achieve. Experimental setup or not, this is an impressive feat from the youngster.
#4 Charles Leclerc becomes the first driver since Juan Pablo Montoya (2002) to score 4 consecutive poles and not win a race
It's not a record Charles Leclerc would have liked to have had, but that's just F1 for you. The Ferrari driver has now scored pole positions in four consecutive races and has been unable to convert a single of them into a win.
Whether it was reliability or poor race management by the team, or even simply Max Verstappen having a better car in Miami, things just have not worked out in the Monegasque's favor. Leclerc will be hoping to break this losing streak at the Canadian GP on Sunday.
#5 Fernando Alonso now has the longest career in F1
Fernando Alonso, the old statesman of F1 after Kimi Raikkonen's retirement last season, now has the longest career in F1 history. The Spanish driver made his debut in the sport in the 2001 F1 season with Minardi and continues to race even today.
Alonso took a hiatus in 2019, seemingly burnt out by McLaren's uncompetitiveness over the years, and then made a return last year with Alpine. He also broke the record set by Michael Schumacher, who had been part of the sport for 21 years and three months.
It will be interesting to see what the Canadian GP offers us over the weekend. Catch the drivers and team next in Canada on Sunday, June 19, 2022.
