Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Sergio Perez claimed his second career victory in one of the most dramatic and chaotic Azerbaijan Grands Prix ever witnessed, after both championship leaders suffered devastating late-race incidents on the streets of Baku. The race delivered stunning twists that completely reshuffled the championship standings and left both Mercedes and Red Bull reeling.

Max Verstappen dominated the race from fourth on the grid, taking the lead and building a commanding advantage. With just five laps remaining and victory in sight, disaster struck when his left-rear Pirelli tire catastrophically failed at over 200mph on the main straight, sending him crashing heavily into the barriers. The incident brought out a red flag and ended Verstappen's race instantly, handing the lead to Lewis Hamilton. On the standing restart with two laps to go, Hamilton had a golden opportunity to win and reclaim the championship lead, but a critical error - accidentally leaving his brake magic setting on - saw him lock up and sail straight into the Turn 1 runoff area, dropping him to 15th and out of the points.

Perez inherited the lead and held on brilliantly through the chaotic restart to secure victory for Red Bull, salvaging crucial points. Sebastian Vettel finished a brilliant second for Aston Martin, his first podium since Turkey 2020, though he was later disqualified for insufficient fuel sample (reinstated on appeal). Pierre Gasly completed the podium for AlphaTauri. The extraordinary sequence of events meant both title contenders left Baku empty-handed or with minimal points, keeping the championship wide open and raising serious questions about Pirelli's tire safety after Lance Stroll suffered a similar failure earlier in the race.