"He Hit Me" - Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo wins in Baku (June 25 2017)

Sebastian Vettel was accused of deliberately driving into his title rival Lewis Hamilton during a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix, won by Daniel Ricciardo. We have the race report and reaction plus the full classification.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Top three

1 Daniel Ricciardo 2hrs 03mins 55.570secs
2 Valteri Bottas 2:03:59.474
3 Lance Stroll 2:03:59.579

Race report

Sebastian Vettel was accused of deliberately driving into his title rival Lewis Hamilton as this year's Formula One championship burst into life during a dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo won what will be regarded as a race for the ages following three safety car periods, one red flag and a series of notable incidents.

But it is Hamilton's clash with Vettel which will be the main talking point after the Ferrari driver was hit with a penalty for colliding twice with the Briton.

Yet despite his 10-second stop-and-go penalty - after the stewards in Baku deemed Vettel's actions to be dangerous - the German still managed to extend his title lead to 14 points after Hamilton was forced into an unscheduled pit stop when his headrest came loose.

Vettel crossed the line in fourth place with Hamilton in fifth. Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas recovered from last place after a first-lap collision with Kimi Raikkonen to pip Williams driver Lance Stroll on the line to take second. Stroll, 18, completed the podium.

The pivotal moment of the race in what could prove to be the pivotal moment of this year's championship battle occurred on lap 20.

With the Safety Car out for a third time, as debris littered the 3.7-mile track following a number of collisions through the pack, Vettel rammed into the back of Hamilton.

Then, the 29-year-old German, furiously gesticulating with both hands, pulled alongside his rival, before inexplicably ramming into the side of Hamilton's Mercedes.

Hamilton's rivalry with Vettel had, until that point, been built on cordial relations. It evaporated in an instance. ''He brake tested me,'' yelled Vettel over the team radio. ''What the f*** is going on?''

Hamilton then gave his version of events to the Mercedes pit wall. ''Vettel literally came alongside and hit me,'' the Briton said.

The race was then red-flagged with more debris on the track after the Force India drivers of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez were involved in a collision and Kimi Raikkonen suffered a rear puncture.

As Hamilton returned to the pit lane on lap 22, with the race suspended, he left his cockpit before examining the back of his car. A Mercedes mechanic, armed with a screwdriver and pliers patched up the bodywork on the rear of his car, and Hamilton was good to go for the re-start.

The race resumed after a 23-minute break with Hamilton once more leading the pack away under Safety Car conditions.

With the earlier incident still fresh in their minds, Hamilton got the drop on Vettel and retained the lead from the German, while Ricciardo made up three positions in one corner as he roared past both Williams drivers and Renault's Nico Hulkenberg.

It was a move which would enable the Australian, who started 10th, to win his first race since last October's Malaysian Grand Prix.

For Hamilton, it looked as though the win was in his pocket, but his headrest - which sits above the cockpit - suddenly started to come loose.

Hamilton frantically tried to repair the flapping piece of silver bodywork by holding it down with one hand on his car with the other hand on his steering wheel as he travelled at speeds in excess of 220mph.

But unsurprisingly the stewards took a dim view of his desperate actions and ordered Mercedes to haul their man in for repair works.

A reluctant Hamilton stopped at the end of lap 31 for 9.3 seconds and was then on his way. He emerged in ninth place. It was at that point Vettel was hit with his penalty which he would serve two laps later.

Vettel, who had claimed no wrongdoing over the team radio for the Hamilton incident, sat in his Ferrari blocks for 10 seconds but emerged ahead of an incandescent Hamilton.

"A 10-second penalty is not enough for driver behaviour like that," Hamilton said over the team radio.

Both Vettel and Hamilton began their charge back through the pack, but Hamilton was unable to get close enough to get the Ferrari driver although he finished just 0.2 sec behind his title rival following a breathless race. The ramifications, however, are likely to go long into the night.

On the incident with Vettel, Hamilton told Sky Sports 1: "You saw it happen, I don't really care about it. I don't know what to say, there's nothing I can say.

"It's done and dusted, we move on. It's just not driver conduct. (It was) dangerous driving (and) you only get a 10- second penalty for that kind of thing, I think it's...I don't need to say anymore.

"I'm just looking forward to getting home. It's been a good weekend and we've still got some points, which is the key. Onwards and upwards."

Vettel added: "He brake-checked me so what do you expect? I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose but I'm struggling. I don't think it was necessary.

"I had a little damage, he risked damage. A couple of years ago in China the same thing. I raised my hand and showed him I wasn't happy with that. I ran into the back of him."

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Race result


1 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 2hrs 03mins 55.570secs
2 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 2:03:59.474
3 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 2:03:59.579
4 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 2:04:01.546
5 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 2:04:01.758
6 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 2:04:25.868
7 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 2:04:37.323
8 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 2:04:44.970
9 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 2:04:55.121
10 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 2:05:24.663
11 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 2:05:27.364
12 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 2:04:27.730
13 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 at 1 Lap
14 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 46 Laps completed
15 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 39 Laps completed
16 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 25 Laps completed
17 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 24 Laps completed
18 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 12 Laps completed
19 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 9 Laps completed
20 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 7 Laps completed

Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel 1min 43.441secs on Lap 47

Formula One Driver Standings 2017


After Azerbaijan Grand Prix

1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 153pts
2 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 139
3 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 111
4 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 92
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 73
6 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 45
7 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 44
8 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 35
9 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 29
10 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 20
11 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 18
12 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 17
13 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 11
14 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 10
15 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 5
16 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 4
17 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 2
18 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 0
19 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 0
20 Antonio Giovinazzi (Ita) Sauber-Ferrari 0
21 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 0
22 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 0

Formula One Constructors Standings 2017


1 Mercedes GP 250pts
2 Ferrari 226
3 Red Bull 137
4 Force India 79
5 Williams 37
6 Scuderia Toro Rosso 33
7 Haas F1 21
8 Renault 18
9 Sauber-Ferrari 5
10 McLaren 2