2017 AZERBEIJAN GP: INAUGURAL VICTORY FOR DANIEL RICCIARDO

Daniel Ricciardo won a hugely dramatic, incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix as title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel both finished off the podium. Mercedes Valtteri Bottas passed Williams’ Lance Stroll across the line at rthe flag to take second place. The Williams driver became the youngest ever podium finisher in a rookie season at 18 years and 239 days and the first Canadian to stand on the podium since Jacques Villeneuve in 2001.

Vettel, meanwhile, finished fourth after he was handed a 10-second stop and go penalty following a bizarre incident in which he swerved into Hamilton’s car during a safety car period after Briton had slowed so dramatically in the lead that second-placed Vettel ran into the back of the Mercedes.

Hamilton finished fifth after he was forced to pit from the lead due to a loose head restraint. That dropped him back to P8 and though he recovered to put pressure on Vettel, who emerged from his penalty stop just ahead of the Briton, it wasn’t enough to rise higher than fifth.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku
51 laps, 306.306km., Weather: Sunny.
CLASSIFIED:
 P.     DRIVER         TEAM          TIME/GAP 
 1. Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull     2h03:55.573
 2. Valtteri Bottas   Mercedes AMG  +    3.904
 3. Lance Stroll      Williams      +    4.009
 4. Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari       +    5.976
 5. Lewis Hamilton    Mercedes AMG  +    6.188
 6. Esteban Ocon      Force India   +   30.298
 7. Kevin Magnussen   Haas          +   41.753
 8. Carlos Sainz jr.  Toro Rosso    +   49.400
 9. Fernando Alonso   McLaren       +   59.551
10. Pascal Wehrlein   Sauber        + 1:29.093
11. Marcus Ericsson   Sauber        + 1:31.794
12. Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren       + 1:32.160
13. Romain Grosjean   Haas          +    1 lap
14. Kimi Raikkonen    Ferrari       +   5 laps

FASTEST LAP: Sebastian Vettel - 1:43.441      

NOT CLASSIFIED:                               
Sergio Perez      Force India
Felipe Massa      Williams
Nico Hulkenberg   Renault
Max Verstappen    Red Bull
Daniil Kvyat      Toro Rosso
Jolyon Palmer     Renault


AFTER 8 RACES:                
DRIVERS:                  CONSTRUCOTRS:       
 1. Sebastian Vettel 153   Mercedes AMG 250
 2. Lewis Hamilton   139   Ferrari      226
 3. Valtteri Bottas  111   Red Bull     137
 4. Daniel Ricciardo  92   Force India   79
 5. Kimi Raikkonen    73   Williams      37
 6. Max Verstappen    45   Toro Rosso    33
 7. Sergio Perez      44   Haas          21
 8. Esteban Ocon      35   Renault       18
 9. Carlos Sainz jr.  29   Sauber         5
10. Felipe Massa      20   McLaren        2
11. Nico Hulkenberg   18
12. Lance Stroll      17
13. Kevin Magnussen   11
14. Romain Grosjean   10
15. Pascal Wehrlein    5
16. Daniil Kvyat       4
17. Fernando Alonso    2