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F1 will be returning to Baku's street circuit this weekend for the Azerbaijan GP. The track has delivered every year since its debut in 2016 and has provided us with numerous noteworthy moments. In this piece, we will be taking a look at some of the most memorable moments in the history of the Azerbaijan GP.
#5 Sebastian Vettel misjudged the overtake and lost the win (Azerbaijan GP 2018)
The 2018 Azerbaijan GP featured Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton embroiled in an intense battle. The two then four-time world champions were in a fight to become the most successful driver on the grid. Vettel lost a position to Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas due to an ill-timed safety car caused by the collision between Max Verstappen and Daniel Riccardo.
On lap 48, the safety car finally went back in. During the safety car restart, Sebastian Vettel made use of the slipstream on the straight to close the gap to Bottas at the front. In what was an ambitious move by the German, Vettel lunged down the inside, locked up his tires, and went straight ahead. If the German had waited for a lap or two after the DRS was enabled, he could have had a better shot at it, but in the end, Vettel lost out on a win and finished fourth in the race.
#4 Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo crashed into each other (Azerbaijan GP 2018)
In the aforementioned 2018 race, the red flag that turned the race upside down was caused by a collision between Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Daniel Riccardo. In 2018, the ecosystem was quite different as Red Bull lacked those final few tenths to be a championship contender.
At the same time, the Dutch driver had not matured enough and was still susceptible to rather audacious moves during the race. The subject of these moves from Max Verstappen was none other than his teammate Daniel Riccardo. Struggling with a battery issue at the time, Verstappen was unable to push forward and was somewhat handicapped when it came to pace.
He started facing a stern challenge from Daniel Riccardo who was lining him up for a move. Things got far too aggressive when Verstappen retaliated against a Daniel Riccardo overtake by pulling off a far too risky overtake of his own.
The two drivers kept at it even after the pitstops, fighting for the same piece of track. With Verstappen not willing to yield and Ricciardo desperate to make a move, the two drivers collided at the first turn as Ricciardo just ran into the back of Verstappen, causing immediate retirement for both the drivers.
#3 Sebastian Vettel intentionally hit Lewis Hamilton during the safety car period (Azerbaijan GP 2017)
The battles between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel had always been fierce. Both drivers were in a fight to prove their supremacy over the other. Things got out of hand at the 2017 Azerbaijan GP.
During the safety car period, Lewis Hamilton pressed the brakes hard, which forced Sebastian Vettel to crash into the back of the Mercedes. Enraged that it was a brake test by the Mercedes driver, Sebastian Vettel, in a fit of rage, got his car alongside Hamilton and intentionally banged wheels with the Mercedes.
In what was a shocking turn of events, Vettel complained that Hamilton had brake tested him, but his complaint was declined and the German was given a 10-second stop-and-go penalty.
#2 Danny Ricciardo's triple overtake (Azerbaijan GP 2017)
Daniel Riccardo did not have the best of weekends at Baku in 2017. He crashed in qualifying. He'd had to pit earlier than planned because of something getting stuck in the radiator and in the early stages of the race, it appeared as though it was going to be an average race for the Australian.
But the Red Bull driver did not give up. He kept making up places and progressing through the field. The crowning moment came at the red flag restart as Ricciardo, in sixth place at the time, was in the slipstream of three drivers, including Felipe Massa, Nico Hulkenberg, and Lance Stroll. Ricciardo, sensing the opportunity, lined himself on the inside. Using the slipstream of the three cars, Ricciardo ran on the inside at Turn 1 and made up three places. In a race that he ended up winning, this was the crowning moment of the evening.
#1 Lewis Hamilton threw it all away at the restart (Azerbaijan GP 2021)
There haven't been many moments in Lewis Hamilton's career that could be described as "clumsy." Hence, what Hamilton did in the Azerbaijan GP last season shocked fans, pundits, and drivers alike. After Max Verstappen retired from the race with a tire puncture, the race was red flagged and the seven-time world champion was to start in second, with a prime opportunity to make the most of Verstappen's misfortune.
However, at the restart, Lewis Hamilton did the unthinkable. The Mercedes driver got the perfect getaway, but instead of turning at the first turn, he went straight ahead. The reason? Hamilton mistakenly pressed what was called the 'magic button,' which overrode the controls of the car as he went straight on. From looking at a possible opportunity to score a significant chunk of points, Hamilton suffered a DNF and, perhaps, lost the title in that race.
It will be interesting to see what the chaotic street circuit will offer us this weekend.
