Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Starting grid with penalties applied

Azerbaijan GP

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Starting grid with penalties applied

Matthew Scott

Sunday 28 April 2019 12:35

Although Ferrari were supposed to dominate the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, it will start as the previous three races have ended – with both Mercedes cars occupying places one and two. Valtteri Bottas will lead Lewis Hamilton away in the Silver Arrows 60th front-row lockout, with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen in third and fourth.

Charles Leclerc had looked the man for pole position right up until he crashed his Ferrari at the castle complex of the Baku City Circuit during Q2.

Barring any changes to his car brought on by the damage caused, Leclerc will start the race in eighth – far from a total seal of doom around Baku's crazy streets.

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Indeed Daniel Ricciardo started from 10th, having also crashed in qualifying, when he won here two years ago.

Antonio Giovinazzi serves a 10-place grid penalty, which drops him down from eighth – having qualified quicker than team-mate Kimi Raikkonen – to between the Williams cars at the back of the grid.

Coming up behind them at the start will be Pierre Gasly, who must get going from the pit-lane after missing a call to the weigh bridge during Friday practice.

It was confirmed on race-day morning that Robert Kubica will also start from the pit lane after Williams repaired his car following a crash in the identical spot of Leclerc's incident in the preceding qualifying segment.

More drama was to follow, with Raikkonen disqualified from qualifying after his Alfa Romeo failed a deflection test, adding to the pit-lane starters.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix starting grid

Third time's a charm!

With Kimi Raikkonen disqualified from quali, this will be the starting order in Baku...#F1 #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/HJNPpT7HIY
— GPFans Global (@GPFansGlobal) April 28, 2019