Williams leapfrogs Mercedes in F1's third 'championship' battleground

Williams can at least lay claim to be ahead of Mercedes in one championship race this season following the weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The team has surged past its F1 power unit partner in the DHL Fastest Pit Stop title race after Lewis Hamilton's team failed to feature in the top-10 times in Baku.

Williams recorded the third-fastest stop of the race of 2.13 seconds when servicing George Russell on lap 34.

This compared favourably to the 4.6secs of Hamilton's lap 11 stop, although the Mercedes driver was held as Pierre Gasly entered the pits behind.

The 15 points scored by Williams takes the team's haul to 78 putting it seven clear of Mercedes and up to second in the standings.

Red Bull continues to be the runaway championship leaders. The team's 1.98secs lap-12 effort with Max Verstappen's stop moved it to 162 points, adding to its victories from Bahrain, Portugal and Monaco.

At Imola, Williams was victorious, while Alfa Romeo, that set the second-fastest time in Baku with Kimi Raikkonen's stop, led the way in Spain.

In Azerbaijan, Alfa Romeo collected a double-points haul as Antonio Giovinazzi's stop was the fifth-fastest of the day, moving the team to within just two points of Mercedes on 69, with Aston Martin on 68 and Ferrari on 67.

Haas is the only team yet to score a point.

Another DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award for @redbullracing - and another stop under two seconds! ⏱👏🏆

👉 https://t.co/F2dWiQFMhc#AzerbaijanGP 🇦🇿 #MomentsThatDeliver @DHL_Motorsports pic.twitter.com/zTSyy8ny0M

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 7, 2021

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