Autosport Podcast: Azerbaijan Grand Prix review
Sergio Perez won a hectic Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after seeing both Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton drop out of the victory fight in dramatic circumstances.
The Baku race erupted into action when Verstappen suffered a shocking tyre failure which caused a red flag with three laps to go.
A standing start was called, with the race counting down to two laps left, with Hamilton and Perez fighting for the lead at the first corner. But the reigning F1 world champion made an error by accidentally flicking a brake setting switch on his steering wheel, which made him lock-up and run off the track, allowing Perez to escape from the chasing pack to claim his first victory for Red Bull.
PLUS: How three drivers 'won' the Azerbaijan GP
Behind the Mexican, Sebastian Vettel pulled off a stunning charge from 11th on the grid to take second place and his first podium for Aston Martin, with AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly taking third place by fending off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the final two laps.
Earlier in the race, Lance Stroll suffered a tyre failure for Aston Martin – which had strong similarities to Verstappen’s blowout later in the Azerbaijan GP – with Pirelli launching an investigation into the failures.
Providing expert insight and analysis following the Azerbaijan GP, host Ariana Bravo is joined by motorsport.com’s F1 editor Jonathan Noble and Motorsport Network’s Director of Digital Strategy Jess McFadyen to analyse the key moments of the race for the latest edition of the Autosport Podcast.
You can listen to the episode using the player below, or via all good audio platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
Brawn: "Thrilling" end to Azerbaijan GP bodes well for F1 sprint races
Masi disagrees with Rosberg over "dangerous" Baku F1 pit entry
Gasly: AlphaTauri has the “right tools” to recover F1 form
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The consequences of Aston Martin’s radical F1 rear wing design
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Horner: "Timing is right" for Vettel's F1 retirement
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Zhou focused on Alfa Romeo stay in F1 2023 silly season
Zhou Guanyu says his focus lies with retaining his Formula 1 seat at Alfa Romeo for 2023 ahead of talks about his future after the summer break.
Why few could blame Leclerc for following the example of Hamilton’s exit bombshell
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
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Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
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How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans revealed after Vettel’s decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last