After a crazy qualifying that took a proper two hours to decide the polesitter, with two crashes disrupting the running, it really looked like we were in for another legendary Sunday. We almost got used to chaotic races in Baku after the thrillers we had witnessed here in 2017 and 2018. This time, however, it wasn't exactly the case.
The Miracle that Refused to Happen (And Other Stories)
And the first ones to blame for a somewhat dull race are the men in red.
Seriously though. This year Ferrari was set to gain lots of new fans to add to their formidable army. They signed Leclerc, a living proof that you don't have to do Max Verstappen things to get a seat in a race-winning machine at a young age — just being, like, really fast will do. They seemed to have sorted their pace issues, at least that's the impression we got from pre-season testing. And — you can't argue with that unless you are a fan of Mercedes or one of their drivers — the domination of the Silver Arrows is becoming ridiculously boring and actually hurts the sport. It means that anyone who proves able to finally challenge the Brackley outfit will gain almost unanimous support among F1 fans.
But it just doesn't seem to be happening. Once again, Ferrari impressed in free practice on the streets of Baku, with Leclerc topping all three sessions. Come qualifying, their advantage was gone. Leclerc crashed into the barriers in Q2, kicking himself out of contention. That triggered another delay in an already protracted session and meant that the sun was going down. So did the track temperature. And that — you really can't make this up — proved unfavourable for the other Ferrari, with Vettel only managing to qualify P3. Yet another unlucky turn of events for Ferrari and another unlikely triumph for the Mercedes duo. Okay, Ferrari lost the quali. But they still have the pace to bounce back on Sunday, right?
Right?
Wrong. Nowhere near. Leclerc did lead for quite a few laps after the cars ahead of him pitted (yeah, he was forced to use mediums for his first stint), but only a safety car could have kept him ahead until the finish line. The safety car, however, never came. No one really knows where he would have ended up if Ferrari had tried a two-stopper for him, but in hindsight, he wouldn't have been lower than fifth, his ultimate finishing position, anyway. They could have tried, but they didn't — and lost badly.
Meanwhile, Vettel's pace matched that of the Red Bulls, rather than of the Mercedes duo, and he would have probably fallen prey to — or been at least under a threat from — Verstappen for third, had it not been for the VSC late into the race. Ferrari lost again — this time when it mattered — and the front row lock-up converted into yet another one-two for Mercedes, making it four out of four this season. This kind of start to the season can demoralize your rivals, but it's hard to say whether Ferrari has any morale left at this point.
Red Bull could have impressed, but didn’t. While Gasly bulleted through the field, having started from the pit lane after his double disqualification, Verstappen even lost a position to Perez at the start. The Frenchman had been having a robust race, although quite far behind the top five, and was in sixth position when his driveshaft failed. That brought “out” a virtual safety car, which compromised Verstappen‘s chances to embarrass Ferrari once again by catching and passing Vettel for third. Friendly fire, but at least Gasly made us remember that he had found his way past the entire midfield, rather than that he once again lost an eternity to his teammate.
Oh, and it runs backwards!
Further behind, there was the ever hectic Formula One Point Five, desperately trying to make a difference. But it didn't quite succeed. There were a couple of things to watch for, though. For instance, Perez didn't make it to the podium this time around but drove faultlessly to finish sixth and best of the rest. His teammate Stroll snatched another two points after a poor quali, scoring now at all the Azerbaijan Grands Prix ever held (just a reminder that the first Baku race in 2016 was marketed as the European Grand Prix). The current Racing Point lineup is truly a duo of Baku specialists.
The highlight of the race surely was the ridiculous incident between Ricciardo and Kvyat. The Honey Badger was too optimistic when he attempted to pass his former Red Bull teammate in Turn 3 and went straight on instead of taking the turn. Kvyat had nowhere to go and had to stop, too, with his gearbox seemingly stuck in neutral, when he got hit by the Renault reversing into him. Of course, the Australian had to accept the blame and apologize to his namesake, but the damage was done — both drivers eventually had to retire. It must have been a heartbreak for Kvyat, who had qualified a brilliant sixth and was having a strong race even after the pace drop in the opening laps that forced an early stop. The Russian outperformed his teammate both in quali and in the race, and it could have been his afternoon had it not been for that unlikely collision.
Speaking of unlikely, that's how you would probably call Räikkönen’s tenth place after his pit lane start. Alfa Romeo did have good pace in Baku on Friday and Saturday, but even with this in mind, Kimi's drive was stellar. He remains one of the few drivers to have scored points in every Grand Prix this season, along with Bottas, Hamilton, Vettel, Verstappen and Leclerc, who, incidentally, have only finished in the top five so far.
It was a relieving race for McLaren, who scored a double points finish for the first time this season. With ten points for seventh and eighth, the Woking team has now climbed to the top of the midfield. Sainz must also be feeling great about his own first points for the new team. Especially if you look at the pace of his former team — the R.S.19 looked fairly lacklustre in the streets of Baku this time. And it was another race to forget for Haas, whose race-mode tyre management issues seem to persist. Ironically, last year's midfield front-runners, Renault and Haas, both mustered zero points in Azerbaijan.
And then, high above those mortals, there's the Mercedes duo, perfectly precise and seemingly unstoppable at this point. Strong. Unreachable. Inevitable.
Mercedes did nothing wrong. Literally
But after all, can we blame Mercedes for the lack of entertainment? Apart from being impeccable, they also tried hard to bring us fun. The intra-team battle at Mercedes is pretty much on, and Bottas proved that in snatching a second pole position in a row in Baku. What's even more important, he stayed in the lead this time after a not-so-perfect start and was able to keep his teammate at bay in the closing stages of the race. It is also noteworthy — and commendable! — that the Mercedes bosses are letting this battle happen. It's not Mercedes' fault that we're bored. In fact, it's everyone else's fault.
And as long as there is no one challenging the Silver Arrows just now, let's enjoy the battle between them. You may not have been impressed by how Bottas drove in Bahrain or how he lost to Hamilton in China, but it's a fact now that he is putting more pressure on the five-time champion than he ever did before at this point in the season. At the moment, there is really nothing to choose between the Mercedes drivers. Not even in the Drivers' standings, with just a single point separating them. Bottas doesn't look overwhelmingly strong so far, but he is consistent, and that may well be enough for a title. Or maybe not. Hamilton, in turn, is able to concentrate when it matters, but can also crack under too much pressure. That's pretty much your ingredients for a 2019 title fight as it stands now. But let's just hope that other contenders will join in.
Wait.
Didn't we forget something?
Oh, yes, Williams. They are fine. They participated in the thing. They finished. Importantly, they didn't break down and had no incidents with drain covers, tow trucks, pedestrian bridges or barriers. Which means they will possibly have enough spare parts for the next Grand Prix. After all, they say it's Spain where the season really starts. You should always look on the bright side, huh?