Lewis Hamilton makes HISTORY as Ferrari left red-faced - Things you may have missed at the Azerbaijan GP

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Netherlands, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Hamilton makes HISTORY as Ferrari left red-faced - Things you may have missed at the Azerbaijan GP

GPFans takes a look at some of the stories which slipped under the radar in Azebaijan

Originally written by Kevin McKenna. This version is a translation.

Monday 16 September 2024 05:00

Oscar Piastri once again proved he is the real deal after producing a flawless drive to secure a second Formula 1 victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Australian pulled off a stunning pass on pole-setter Charles Leclerc shortly after the pair had made their solitary pit stop, and he showed maturity beyond his years to keep the Monegasque at bay despite coming under severe pressure throughout.

F1 RESULTS: Dramatic race ends with HUGE crash as championship lead changes

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A dramatic late collision between Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez knocked both drivers out of the race with two laps remaining as they battled for the final podium spot, which was music to the ears of George Russell who stole in to clinch an unexpected third.

Elsewhere, Lando Norris drove superbly to finish ahead of championship rival Max Verstappen - despite starting from 17th - to chip away at the three-time champion's advantage at the top of the standings.

Fortunately, GPFans had it covered.

Records keep coming for Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton finished ninth after a disappointing day

It may have been another disappointing day at the office for Lewis Hamilton, who just scraped into the points, but at least the Brit can take some consolation in the fact that he passed another milestone on the streets of Baku.

The seven-time world champion has now clocked up over 100,000km in F1, and in doing so, became just the second driver - after Fernando Alonso - to achieve the feat.

At least that's something to celebrate. Right?

Russell gets revenge after pre-race blow

George Russell got the better of his team-mate in Baku

While Russell got the better of his team-mate on the track, he came off second best in a bizarre pre-race incident between the pair.

As part of their final preparations before the action got underway, both drivers took part in a Mercedes team warm-up in the paddock.

But what should have been a routine ritual took an unexpected twist, as Russell was struck in the face by a resistance band that had slipped from Hamilton's grasp.

Fortunately for Russell, he was the one who had the last laugh when the chequered flag was waved.

Frosty trip home

Alex Albon proved to be a nuisance for Max Verstappen

Russell's third-place finish looked like a pipe dream midway through the race, after being caught up in a bit of traffic behind... Alex Albon.

The Williams racer put in a fine performance to take home six crucial points for his team, and it's hard to argue that it wasn't deserved.

At one stage, he had Russell, Verstappen, and Norris all backed up behind him as the trio tried to force their way to the front of the grid.

They did all get through eventually, but with Albon seemingly intent on single-handedly scuppering the chances of his three close friends, it could be an interesting flight home given the quartet are rumored to be traveling together...

There's a Stella on your shoulder, Lando.

Andrea Stella was thrilled to see McLaren go top of the constructors' standings

Norris had enough to worry about as he tried to fight his way back from 17th, so asking him to imagine an image of his team boss popping up on his shoulder was likely more of a hindrance than a help.

But that was the rather peculiar message delivered to the two-time race winner over team radio, as they encouraged him to look after the car.

"Imagine Andrea [Stella] on your shoulder saying: 'zero wheelspin every exit'," was relayed to the McLaren star on lap 40 as he worked his way through the field.

Terrifying stuff.

Norris offers a helping hand

Norris played a key role in securing the victory for Oscar Piastri

Despite their emergence as the biggest challengers to Red Bull's constructors' title this season, all hasn't been rosy at McLaren.

Controversy surrounding team orders has been a frequent topic of conversation in recent months, with incidents in Budapest and Monza overshadowing what should have been two days of celebration.

While Norris is the man in the hunt for the drivers' title, he was forced to play second fiddle to his team-mate on Sunday afternoon, but there were no murmurs of discontent on this occasion.

With Piastri in the pits, Norris did everything in his power to keep a rampant Perez at bay and allow his colleague to exit in front of the Mexican and hold on to his lead.

Isn't it nice when everyone just gets along?

Ferrari left red-faced

Charles Leclerc couldn't find a way past Piastri

Credit where it's due, Ferrari certainly put up a fight.

With Leclerc's attempts to unsettle Piastri proving to be fruitless, it was left to his team to resort to some dark arts in a bid to force a mistake.

But their attempt to lure Piastri into an unplanned pitstop fell flat on its face, with McLaren refusing to bite on the suggestion that Leclerc was coming in to change his tires.

It all led to a rather comical moment, as both drivers cruised past the pit wall shortly after before turning their attention back to the task at hand.

Max Verstappen Lando Norris Charles Leclerc Sergio Perez Carlos Sainz George Russell