The changes behind a ‘feel-good’ F1 result in Baku

Sporting podiums are not always packed with smiling faces.

In some contests, only victory will do – the losers’ medals from football finals often apparently cannot be located years after the event, or so goes the oft-trotted out explanation of many ex-professional pundits. Silver and bronze Olympic medals are mighty achievements to the individual recipients, but will not be recorded in history with the same crowning achievement as the golden champion.

Then there’s victory celebrations being used for political point scoring (in many cases even hosting sporting events is intrinsically linked to politics, which is why those who bleat about ‘sport and politics not mixing’ when the point being made doesn’t suit their own agenda must be countered) or tarnished by controversy in the happenings of the contest. Formula 1 has plenty of experience of the last example.

Last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix was packed with positivity. Perhaps only the most ardent Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton fans would’ve been hard-pressed not to revel in the joy being expressed by the three drivers and two teams who have not occupied such exalted positions all that often in recent years.

Sergio Perez was naturally delighted with his triumph – the best proof provided that he can finally give Red Bull exactly what it has been missing since Daniel Ricciardo departed. That he can be there to pick up the pieces when things go wrong for Max Verstappen, challenge for victory on his own terms (there was a moment before his green-flagged pitstop where Perez was going so fast Red Bull team boss Christian Horner thought Verstappen’s net lead was under threat) and disrupt things for Mercedes.

In the aftermath of Perez’s win, Red Bull seemed to be exploding with cathartic joy – dealing with Verstappen’s shocking retirement thanks to his tyre blowout with a bursting expression of relief.

PLUS: How three drivers 'won' the Azerbaijan GP

Perhaps this feeling was exacerbated by Hamilton’s mistake at the second standing start meaning the points swing of Verstappen’s exit was nullified and because Red Bull was so concerned Perez’s hydraulic pressure problem would lead to his own DNF in a race the team had been dominating.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W12, locks up at the restart and runs off the circuit whilst battling for the lead with Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB16B

Photo by: Charles Coates / Motorsport Images

In third place, Pierre Gasly was irrepressibly happy after seeing off Charles Leclerc with brilliant driving in a hobbled car during the two-lap sprint shootout. He was just delighted to complete a set of career F1 podium placings: “I finished already once first, once second and I missed that third place, so it feels incredible to get that podium!”

And then there was the Aston Martin’s brand’s first F1 podium, taken by Sebastian Vettel.

Red Bull rightfully expects victory. AlphaTauri has successfully and understandably created a car package and culture such that it is now disappointed with low points-paying results, where just a few years ago they would’ve delighted the ex-Minardi team.

PLUS: The AlphaTauri improvements that mean Gasly’s form is no fluke

Despite the success and pace attained last year as Racing Point, with its Mercedes-clone RP20, the Aston/Vettel partnership had a tough start in 2021.

“You can argue that it takes off a bit of pressure but I think obviously the expectations in general are fairly high at the beginning of the year, so it was good to get a good result. For [Baku], I think we were fairly open-minded" Sebastian Vettel

The green team was impacted by the rear floor rule changes, which it initially railed against, while Vettel couldn’t match the early points finishes Lance Stroll picked up and was often left fighting slower cars. As a true F1 great, his decline at Ferrari and this apparently transferring over to his new start at Aston was hard to watch. Surely, no likes to see any driver struggle.

But the last two races have been breakthrough results – Vettel’s own irrepressible positive energy on full display via his team radio having come fifth in Monaco (from eighth on the grid, a fine achievement given the difficulty in progressing up the order at that track) and on the Baku podium.

Analysis: How revitalised Vettel redeemed himself in Monaco

In both races he delivered excellent overcut strategies. In both, he smartly saved his rubber at key points and then unleashed that tyre-life advantage to devastating effect on his rivals.

Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin AMR21, in the pits

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

In Monaco this was Hamilton and Gasly. In Baku, once he’d jumped Yuki Tsunoda, not overconsuming his hards early in what should have been the second and final stint paid off at the safety car restart following Stroll’s blowout exit. He expertly battled by Charles Leclerc and Gasly, which then put him in place to capitalise when disaster hit Verstappen and Hamilton messed up his braking at the second start.

“I think at the level that we are at it’s clear that everybody is able to drive a car very quickly so small things can make a big difference,” Vettel said of his recent uptick in form.

“And yeah, [it] probably took a little bit longer than I wanted to at the beginning of the season to get on top of myself and adjusting to the car. But I was confident that at some point it would start clicking and obviously Monaco was great. We had a good result there so that helps.

“You can argue that it takes off a bit of pressure but I think obviously the expectations in general are fairly high at the beginning of the year, so it was good to get a good result.

“For [Baku], I think we were fairly open-minded. It’s another street circuit, it’s a place where I think you can make a difference if you really feel confident with the car.”

That confidence has come from changes Aston made to its floor – so critical to its performance given the difficulties the lower-rake packages have had in 2021 – which Vettel ran for the first time in Spain. Further updates followed at Monaco and seem to have helped with the lack of consistent rear stability that was plaguing Vettel earlier in the year.

PLUS: The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate

“[Baku] was one of the races this year where actually our race pace was very strong compared to qualifying pace,” Vettel also explained after taking his best result since Mexico 2019.

The Aston Martin team celebrate in Parc Ferme as Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, takes second position in the race

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

“Other events we had a stronger showing in qualifying and then struggled a bit in the race. It was, if anything, the other way around so I was very surprised when I found myself in the race, at ease, following the AlphaTauris – with Yuki in the beginning – and feeling faster.

PLUS: Azerbaijan Grand Prix Driver Ratings

“Feeling also comfortable to follow the Ferrari, follow Charles, and putting pressure on so that he had to put pressure on Pierre. I felt quite comfortable in the car all weekend, which for sure doesn’t hurt, so hopefully we can carry that momentum into the next couple of events. France will be a normal track so we will see where we are but, hopefully, we can fight for points a little bit more regularly.”

That confidence has come from changes Aston made to its floor – so critical to its performance given the difficulties the lower-rake packages have had in 2021 – which Vettel ran for the first time in Spain

Vettel ends on a key point for the next phase of the F1 season.

Monaco and Baku have been outlier events given their city settings – particularly the former because of its lower average speed. Paul Ricard, Red Bull Ring and Silverstone return the championship to much more predictable ground, where downforce is produced differently and the challenge of getting the tyres working properly comes in other forms. Here then, lies the real test of Aston’s progress and Vettel’s own within it.

The same is true of Mercedes and Red Bull, and which of the regular podium finishers will likely be smiling radiantly when the chequered flag falls next time out.

Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin, 2nd position, the Red Bull Racing trophy delegate, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing, 1st position, and Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri, 3rd position, on the podium

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images