Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2018 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Lewis Hamilton claimed a crucial victory at the chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix after both Red Bull drivers crashed out while running one-two with just laps remaining. The dramatic race on Baku's unforgiving street circuit saw multiple Safety Cars, a collision between the Ferrari teammates, and ultimately gifted Hamilton a win that kept him in championship contention.

Sebastian Vettel started from pole position and led the early stages, but the race exploded into chaos when he attempted to pass the Safety Car and collided with his teammate Valtteri Bottas on the restart. The incident scattered debris across the track and triggered another Safety Car period. Later, with Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen running one-two and seemingly cruising to victory, the teammates made contact on lap 40 while battling for the lead, eliminating both cars in a catastrophic moment for the team. The collision promoted Hamilton from fourth to first, with the Mercedes driver inheriting a victory he could scarcely believe.

Kimi Raikkonen finished second for Ferrari despite earlier contact with teammate Vettel that damaged both cars, while Sergio Perez completed the podium for Force India in a brilliant opportunistic drive. Valtteri Bottas set the fastest lap despite his difficult race. The result was devastating for Vettel, who lost ground in the championship after what should have been a comfortable victory. The Azerbaijan GP once again proved to be one of the calendar's most unpredictable and incident-filled races.