Since arriving on the Formula 1 calendar, five different drivers have climbed to the top of the podium.
Placing a bet on who will win this weekend’s Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a very difficult task. And it is that since the very fast Baku circuit reached the premier class, no driver has repeated victory. One more fact: only in two editions of the five held, the winner started from pole position.
The Baku street circuit has been part of the Formula 1 calendar since 2016, although in that edition it hosted the European GP, later becoming the venue for the Azerbaijan GP. This fast circuit, where speeds of over 370 km/h have been exceeded, with really narrow areas where the slightest mistake can end in an accident, has become one of the most unpredictable events in F1.
If we take a look at the record of the circuit, a driver has never won twice and only twice has someone who started from Pole won. The first year was one of the exceptions: Nico Rosberg, who would be proclaimed champion at the end of that season, achieved victory starting from the first place with a wide advantage of 16 seconds over Vettel.
The German Mercedes driver extended his lead in the F1 World Championship over Hamilton to 24 points, after the Briton could only finish fifth due to a problem with his car’s engine.
In 2017 the victory went to Daniel Ricciardo, while Lewis Hamilton was the driver who started from pole. That race will go down in history for having been the biggest clash between the British driver and Sebastian Vettel, when the German collided with the Mercedes driver, accusing him of having braked on purpose.
The following year Vettel took pole, beating Hamilton by just over a tenth, but in the race it was the Briton who won, while ‘Seb’ was fourth. And, again, an accident was the protagonist, this time between two teammates, Ricciardo and Verstappen.
In 2019 we found another of the exceptions, as Bottas started from the first position and achieved victory, but in 2021 the race was unpredictable again: Sergio Pérez won after an action-packed finish, with Verstappen’s accident included after a prick. Max, by the way, has never been on the podium at this track…nor has his biggest rival, Charles Leclerc.
| Big prize | Year | Pole Position | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 2016 | Nico Rossberg | Nico Rossberg |
| Azerbaijan | 2017 | Lewis Hamilton | Daniel Ricciardo |
| Azerbaijan | 2018 | Sebastian Vettel | Lewis Hamilton |
| Azerbaijan | 2019 | Valtteri Bottas | Valtteri Bottas |
| Azerbaijan | 2021 | charles leclerc | Sergio Perez |
And if this race promises excitement… the 2022 F1 World Championship is not far away. Max Verstappen heads into the eighth round of the season in first place in the championship, nine points ahead of Charles Leclerc. The Mexican Sergio Pérez is 15 points behind the leader, ready to fight to take the lead.
