In a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez experienced wildly different emotions.
At the start of Sunday’s race, Verstappen was four points ahead of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and appeared to be on his way to winning his 13th race of the season, but he had a dramatic tire blowout in the final moments of the race.
The Red Bull driver’s luck ran out with five laps to go when his left-rear tyre ruptured and he crashed into the concrete wall.
Verstappen was unable to contain his frustration as he got out of his car and kicked the blown tire.
The race was then halted while debris was cleared off the track.
The suspension gave Hamilton the opportunity to win the race, or at least finish second and pull ahead of Verstappen in the drivers’ standings, but in his attempt to pass Perez at the restart, he ran off the track and locked up.
Perez sprinted away to win for Red Bull for the first time, and only the second time in his career.
Sebastian Vettel finished second, giving Aston Martin their first podium in Formula One, while Pierre Gasly of the Alpha Tauri finished third.
‘Humbling experience’
“I’m so happy for today,” said Perez after his victory. “Normally Baku is pretty crazy but I have to say sorry to Max.
“He deserved the win today and it would have been good for the team to get a one-two but the win is a fantastic result.”
Hamiiton described his conclusion to the race as “quite a humbling experience.”
“We’ve worked so hard to come back into the top 10 and I put everything on the line but just lost out in the end,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“I clipped a switch that places the brakes off so I just went straight on at turn one on the restart. I’m very sorry to the guys and girls in the team. I had no idea that I’ve even touched the ‘magic’ switch.”
Prior to Sunday, Hamilton had finished in the top ten in 54 consecutive races, going back to July 2018, when he was forced to retire at the Austrian Grand Prix. Due to a positive Covid-19 test, the Briton was unable to compete in the Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020.
With 105 points, Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings, followed by Hamilton on 101 and Perez on 69.
“We were fully in control — it’s very disappointing with what happened,” Verstappen told Sky Sports as he reflected on his crash. “We lost out on a lot of points — we could have opened up a gap, and with it happening so close to the end it is very frustrating.
“It is what it is — we’re still leading the championship despite hitting the wall.”
The next grand prix will be held on June 20 in France, after six races have been completed.
The uniforms of Formula One racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price:
