Since its debut in 2016, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has given us some thrilling races. Let's rewind the tape and go back to the 2017 edition, which is still remembered today for the duel between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, who were then fighting for the world title.
A thrilling head-to-head
The Baku stage was one of the high points of this rivalry. Vettel and Hamilton each have three wins to their name and are aiming for their fourth victory on the Azerbaijan circuit. We are halfway through the race, under the Safety Car, with Hamilton in the lead followed by the German. While under the SC, the Englishman suddenly slowed down, forcing Vettel to brake sharply (which he himself described as a “brake test”). This incident resulted in damage to the front wing. Sebastian's reaction was very exuberant, with the German sensationally deciding to pull up alongside Hamilton's Mercedes and bump into it.
This reaction immediately prompted a radio response from Hamilton, who insisted that his team impose a penalty on the Ferrari driver. The incident was investigated by the Federation, with Vettel being penalized with a ten-second Stop and Go.
The final result
The checkered flag saw a smiling Daniel Ricciardo take the win, followed by Bottas and Stroll (then a Williams driver). Vettel finished fourth, managing to finish ahead of Hamilton in fifth.
This week we return to Baku, where, as we have just seen, there has never been a shortage of battles. We just have to wait and see if this edition will also bring us lots of surprises.
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Main cover photo sport.sky.it
