Here Are The Winners And Losers Of The 2022 Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix

While the eighth round of the 2022 Formula One season was unusually calm at the Baku street circuit, it certainly wasn’t without drama. Another shock result up front sees Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen take full advantage of the situation with a race win. Here are the winners and losers of the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix:

Winners

Red Bull Racing

It seems like Christmas has come quite early for Red Bull Racing over the past three races, and this one continued the momentum, as a double-Ferrari DNF meant a clear run for the race win. While Sergio Perez had taken the lead early on, Max Verstappen’s superior race pace meant the 2021 world champion took the race lead and secured a 1-2 finish for the team. This leaves Verstappen leading his teammate Sergio Perez by 21 points in the drivers standings, while the team now has a comfortable 80-point cushion to Ferrari in the constructors standings. 

Mercedes

8-time constructors' champions Mercedes were right there to pick the pieces from Ferrari’s losses as George Russell continued his top five finishing streak with a third place finish. Teammate Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, but had to scythe through the field to get there. This result further consolidates Mercedes’s stronghold in third position of the constructors’ standings.

Sebastian Vettel

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With teammate Lance Stroll struggling throughout the weekend, it was Sebastian Vettel who flew the flag for Aston Martin, scoring a well earned sixth-place finish. This result is more impressive considering the German had spun out earlier in the race, which would have yielded a fifth place finish had that not happened.

Pierre Gasly

It’s been a tough start to the season, but things seem to have taken a positive turn for Pierre Gasly at Baku. After qualifying sixth, the AlphaTauri driver managed to stay out of trouble and drove a controlled race to fifth position.

Losers

Ferrari

 

When it rains, it really does seem to pour for Ferrari, as Baku saw crucial points being surrendered via a double retirement. The first one came from Carlos Sainz with a hydraulic issue on lap 9, with Charles Leclerc suffering an engine failure on lap 20 while leading the race. This has led to Charles Leclerc dropping to third in the drivers standings with Ferrari now 80 points adrift of Red Bull Racing in the constructors’ standings. 

Alfa Romeo

 

Rookie Guanyu Zhou looked to be set for a positive weekend, overshadowing his more experienced teammate Valtteri Bottas at every turn. But a technical issue meant an unfortunate retirement of the Chinese driver. It seemed to be an off-weekend for Bottas as the Finn looked nowhere near capable of a points finish, and managed to cross the line in 11th position. 

Haas

Kevin Magnussen looked to be in the fight for a strong points finish for Haas, but another technical issue meant a consecutive retirement for the Danish driver. His teammate, Mick Schumacher, had a difficult weekend, crossing the line in 14th position.

In just seven days time, Formula One will be back in Canada, the first grand prix since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ninth round of the season will take place at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve and is scheduled to run from June 17 to 19, 2022.