Nithyanandam Ramasamy
Round 6 in Baku was sensational as Sergio Perez dramatically gets his second career win. The 2021 Azerbaijan GP is a perfect advertisement for Formula 1. The race was filled with drama, controversies, euphoria and also disappointments. Baku has proved why it is the Picasso of street circuits. From the opening lap masterclass to the vintage Fernando Alonso in the 2 lap sprint race, the race has given us a day to remember. So what does the data say? Let’s delve into it.
Opening Lap
The opening lap of the 2021 Azerbaijan GP has seen 14 moves. Antonio Giovinazzi is proving that he is the master of first-lap where he made up 5 places. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel had an outstanding opening lap as both drivers combinedly gained 5 places. It set up a tone for their incredible weekend albeit Lance Stroll’s crash. We have to remember the fact that Lance Stroll was heading for a strong finish before his unfortunate retirement. In contrast, Lando Norris has lost 3 places in the first lap, and George Russell lost 5, mainly because of his early pit stop.
How did Sergio Perez overcut Lewis Hamilton
One of the intriguing battles in the initial stages of the race was between Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton has lost track positions to both Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez after the first round of pit stops. Sergio Perez has gone from 2.7s behind Lewis Hamilton on lap 8 to go ahead of the Brit by 0.37s on lap 14. From lap 8 to his out-lap on lap 14, Sergio Perez has lapped 0.413s per lap faster than Lewis Hamilton.
In-lap of Sergio Perez played a crucial role in gaining a track position ahead of Lewis Hamilton. His in-lap was 1.258s faster than Lewis Hamilton’s in-lap. On top of it, Sergio Perez’s pit stop was 0.33s faster than Lewis Hamilton’s pit stop. How crucial was it to get ahead of Lewis Hamilton by just 0.37s at the end of his out lap? The role played by Pierre Gasly was immense here. The Mercedes crew had to wait for Pierre Gasly to pass their garage before they have released Lewis Hamilton after the stop. One and a half sec spent waiting there was key in Lewis Hamilton losing a position to Sergio Perez. We are talking about margins. That’s the beauty of Formula 1.
How did Sebastian Vettel close the gap to Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc?
Sebastian Vettel gets Aston Martin’s first Formula 1 podium with a stunning drive. He’s had the longest stint on soft tyres in Baku, accumulating 18 laps. After managing tyres in the first 9 laps, Sebastian Vettel went on to lap faster than Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc and have nearly matched the fastest laps till his pit stop on lap 18. He was 8s behind fifth place at the end of lap 8. But Sebastian Vettel rejoined just 2.75s behind the fifth-placed Charles Leclerc on lap 19.
While leading the race after all the front runners have pitted, he was able to gain 5.256s on Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly. His in-lap was 1.467s faster than Charles Leclerc and 0.926s faster than Pierre Gasly. Sebastian Vettel did what Sergio Perez used to do with Racing Point. He has also shown ruthlessness while overtaking Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly after the SC restart. Are we witnessing the return of old ruthless Sebastian Vettel? How beautiful would that be for the sport?
The two-lap sprint
The two-lap sprint to the finish was a cherry on the top for an extraordinary race. The race was restarted with Sergio Perez inheriting the lead after Lewis Hamilton inadvertently pushed ‘the magic brake’ button. Lewis Hamilton has lost 13 places and also crucial championship points. The star of the restart was none other than Fernando Alonso. Starting on 10th position, the Spaniard has sent it fully to gain 4 positions. Fernando Alonso answering his doubters that he has still got it. There were 16 moves after the restart. Yuki Tsunoda is a name that can be seen in losing places during the race start and the two-lap sprint. Were the standing starts been kryptonite for Yuki Tsunoda in Baku?
