Valtteri Bottas has taken back the lead of the standings this Sunday after winning the 2019 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Finn has kept teammate Lewis Hamilton at bay during the final laps of the race, with both drivers adding the fourth consecutive one-two of the season for Mercedes.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel completed the podium with Max Verstappen and a combative Charles Leclerc closing the top 5. Sixth place was for Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez. Carlos Sainz obtained his first points of the year with McLaren with a seventh position ahead of teammate Lando Norris.

A smooth start

The start of the race has been very much a synthesis of what was to come. A lot of fighting but very few changes – practically none – at the head of the race.

Bottas defended his pole position from the start despite having Hamilton constantly breathing down his neck. The two silver arrows rolled in parallel in an intense fratricidal duel.

Behind them, Vettel held on to his third position while a sensational Checo Perez (Racing Point) was beating Max Verstappen for fourth place. The McLarens of Norris and Sainz moved onto the sixth and eighth positions respectively, with the Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat between them.

Five laps into the race Bottas had opened an almost three-second gap with the five-time British champion. Meanwhile, the hostilities continued below. Verstappen took back the fourth place from Perez while a combative Leclerc was climbing up from the tenth to the sixth place.

First wave of pit stops 

The first wave of pit stops from the favourites would start on the twelfth lap. Vettel was the first to pit exchanging his red tyres for some fresh yellow ones. On lap later, Bottas, Sainz and Hamilton replicated the move.

Leclerc thus inherited the lead with 13 seconds’ advantage over Bottas, Hamilton and Vettel. Ferrari’s strategy for #5 consisted of keeping him on the track for as long as possible.

By lap 28 however, Leclerc’s tyres were too worn out to keep up the pace, and Bottas, Hamilton and Vettel caught up with him. The six cars at the lead were just six seconds apart from each other.

Leclerc finally gave in to Bottas on lap 31, whom in just one lap was already 1.2 ahead of the Monegasque driver. Soon after, the Ferrari #16 was already under threat from the other Silver Arrow. Over the next two laps, Hamilton and Vettel would also pass Leclerc leaving him in position.

Leclerc pits…too late

In an attempt to improve Leclerc’s rapidly deteriorating situation, Maranello finally sent him to pits, but it was too late. Bottas had recovered the lead with a 1.6-second gap against Hamilton. Vettel was ahead of both the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Gasly.

Meanwhile, Leclerc was back in the sixth position and hoping to climb back up with the help of his fresh tyres. After Gasly’s abandonment in lap 40, he was again in fifth.

Bottas takes the lead back… until the end

Another four laps passed and the ‘new’ Bottas was commanding the Azerbaijan 2019 Grand Prix with an advantage of 3.3 seconds over Hamilton.

The Briton was at this point a whole 2.6 seconds ahead of Vettel. Verstappen, fourth was leading Leclerc by 2.3 seconds. Hoping to sign the fastest lap, the Monegasque went through pits at four laps from the end.

The last four laps became an obsessive pursuit for Hamilton, who was just one second behind. The Scandinavian driver, however, defended his position until the chequered flag where both drivers would seal Mercedes’ fourth consecutive one-two of the season. Vettel closed the podium ahead of Verstappen, Leclerc and Perez.

The McLarens of Sainz and Norris finished seventh and eighth respectively. Another disappointing race for Ferrari in a season so far completely dominated by Mercedes.

 Images: F1.com, Mercedes, Ferrari & Red Bull.