The emergence of a new race track in the calendar of Formula 1 — it is always interesting. And if it is difficult urban track — this is doubly interesting.
Fans with the experience of creation do not like the creator of many modern race tracks Hermann Tilke, contemptuously calling them «tilkedrom». However, the city has turned a very interesting circuit in Baku.
A mixture of broad tracks with long straight and narrow urban segment led the riders and teams to think about settings and places for overtaking was enough, that could not please the fans.
From the new route we were expecting numerous accidents and incidents related to its narrowest part. And the first of these expectations are met.
In the first training sorties were noted Daniil Kvyat, Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz and Esteban Gutierrez. And Daniel Riccardo accident led to stop the session for ten minutes.
In the second training session of accidents could be avoided, but Nico Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen faced with technical problems — both stopped on the track.
The final training session was again stopped by the red flags — Sergio Perez scored. His mechanics had to work hard to rebuild a broken Force India. Then another Mexican did not know that this is absolutely unnecessary in a training accident would deprive him start from the first row...
In all three training races dominated by riders, who spoke on vehicles equipped with power units Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg showed three times the first and second time respectively, while the third position once appeared Representative Williams Valtteri Bottas and once racers Force India Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez.
Saturday morning the GP2 series race at the new track Get emergency «emergency» — the participants of the 22 starters made it to the finish line only ten. Reporters tensed — which, in this case, wait for the pilots of Formula 1?
Qualifications only confirmed forecasts — departures were many, though most of them did not lead to any consequences.
The fastest time in all three training sessions Lewis Hamilton
in qualifying though we have changed. The Briton made a mistake after mistake, and eventually in all three segments of qualifying races for once managed to spoil your attempt and once off the road.
But if in the first and second sessions, he was able to minimize the damage, the final segment of the current world champion broke the front suspension and failed to show the normal time — he became only the tenth.
Pole position also won his Mercedes teammate and main rival for the title of Nico Rosberg. speed motors of the German manufacturer confirmed Sergio Perez — Mexican showed the second time. However, due to the fact that in a crash during a training session he damaged the gearbox and it had to be replaced, Force India driver lost five positions on the grid.
Thus, together with the winner qualifying on the front row started Riccardo Daniel of Red Bull. The second row of the grid is fully occupied Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen — taking into account what the initial spurt Germans realized at an early stage in Canada, this position caused apprehension in Mercedes. But this time nothing happened.
Daniil Kvyat the first time since his return to Toro Rosso managed to qualify good — Russian left in the sixth race. Behind him, left and teammate Carlos Sainz, and «abuser» Residents Max Verstappen.
However, the race for Dani lasted only seven laps — he gradually lost positions, behind all of the same Verstappen, then Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Romain Grosjean and then drove into the pits and there is no longer left. The official reason for the vanishing — breaking the suspension.
Interestingly, in the 33 round of his Toro Rosso «parked» another team rider Carlos Sainz — and also due to a failure in the suspension!
I do not ask for race and «older» Bulls team. Daniel Ricardo at the start kept the second position followed by Nico Rosberg. But then I skipped ahead of Sebastian Vettel, and then during the race the Australian lost the duel with Kimi Raikkonen, Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton and finished only seventh.
Eighth place finish went to his teammate Max Ferstappenu. Yes, the Dutch in the early beat Kvyat, but then he walked Bottas and Hamilton, then to the pit stop there was a hitch with one of the wheels, and in the end just ahead of Felipe Massa and Nico Hulkenberg Max managed to stay behind his teammate.
What is the reason for the fall of Red Bull pace? Riders could not manage to properly warm up the rubber, which resulted in low machine speeds and low final results. Grand Prix of Europe, all four riders Bulls can write yourself into versatile...
But in addition to the race winner, Nico Rosberg became perhaps the only winner of the third place Sergio Perez can proudly say: «The race was a success!»
Even runner-up Sebastian Vettel hardly pleased his result. Yes, the «silver» that in itself is good, but the gap from the winner in 17 seconds — it's a failure. During the race, Ferrari drivers — like their rivals from Red Bull — they could not maintain the Mercedes. Therefore, it is rather the result of Vettel luck than the rule.
On the hand the Germans played a problem Lewis Hamilton. Briton almost the entire race suffered because of «glitches» of the car electronics. Only at the end of the car it came to, but it was too late — at the finish of the current world champion was only the fifth.
Fourth place was won by Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn lost a third step of the podium of Sergio Perez on the last lap — sorry, but Scuderia objectively lost in the Force India rate. Plus — Kimi got a penalty of five seconds for having passed through the entrance to the pit lane.
Sixth race finished Valtteri Bottas — the best of the pilots Williams. Next — the representatives of Red Bull Riccardo and Verstappen, the second Force India Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa second Williams.
The next stage of the Formula 1 will be held in two weeks in Austria.
Photo: XPB Images
