Ricciardo wins amid chaos at Azerbaijan GP
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, June 26, 2017
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Sebastian Vettel hits Lewis Hamilton twice as Ricciardo wins chaotic Azerbaijan GP. |
Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo profited from the chaos to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix yesterday, while Sebastian Vettel extended his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton.
The Australian secured his fifth career win, while Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas overtook 18-year-old Canadian Lance Stroll's Williams in the closing meters to take second place.
"It was just a crazy race, with all the safety cars and the chaos," Ricciardo said. "On the cool-down lap, I was just giggling like a schoolboy."
Vettel steered his Ferrari into fourth, just ahead of Hamilton's Mercedes.
After eight races, Vettel leads Hamilton by 14 points.
In a stop-start race, the safety car came out three times in quick succession before a red flag stopped the grand prix near the midway point because debris littered the track.
Shortly before that, Hamilton and Vettel were involved in an incident that threatens to sour their good relations.
Hamilton appeared to stop his car right in front of Vettel, causing Vettel to collide into him. An irate Vettel then accelerated alongside Hamilton and appeared to deliberately swerve back into him.
Vettel was given a 10-second stop-go penalty, but Hamilton lost valuable time changing a loose headrest at the same time that Vettel served his time penalty.
Hamilton was on Vettel's tail on the last lap, but could not overtake.
"I think it's just not driver conduct. It's dangerous driving and to get a 10-second penalty for that... I don't need to say anything else," Hamilton told Sky Sports.
Vettel pleaded innocent.
"Nothing happened, did it? He brake checked me as well, so what do you expect?," the German told Sky.
The fact Ricciardo won from 10th on the grid, and that Bottas clawed his way back from last following an early incident, summed up a bizarre race.
It was an extraordinary performance from Stroll, the son of a billionaire, who faced heavy criticism earlier in the season. "I'm just lost for words," said Stroll, who earned his first podium finish.
Esteban Ocon of Force India was sixth ahead of Kevin Magnussen of Haas, Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso, who also survived a first-lap collision, two-time champion Fernando Alonso, who scored McLaren's first points of the year in ninth, and Pascal Wehrlein of Sauber.
The 6-kilometer Baku street circuit, which glides through the city's medieval walls and passes the Caspian Sea, caused problems all weekend due to its long straights and tight, hard-braking corners.
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