Azerbaijan Grand Prix result: Valtteri Bottas holds off Lewis Hamilton to secure fourth straight Mercedes one-two

Winner: Bottas wins his second race of the season ahead of team-mate Hamilton.
AFP/Getty Images
Joe Krishnan28 April 2019

Valtteri Bottas has won the Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku finishing ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

The Finn led from pole after a tense opening lap battle with the reigning world champion and kept his Mercedes colleague at an arm's distance as he stormed to his fifth career victory.

It was a fitting result for the 29-year-old, who suffered a cruel tyre blowout when leading the race here 12 months ago.

Mercedes displayed their dominance once again with a fourth successive one-two, meaning they have secured maximum points from the first four races.

Sebastian Vettel came home in third, followed by Max Verstappen in fourth and Charles Leclerc in fifth.

In Pictures | F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Race 2019

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British teenager Lando Norris put in another impressive performance, bringing his McLaren home in ninth position behind team-mate Carlos Sainz.

Bottas and Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel at the first turn with the Brit edging ahead, but back came the Finn and he held onto the lead before opening a sizeable gap out in front.

It was an unusually incident-free first lap as the drivers kept out of each other's way, with only Daniil Kvyat sustaining damage after clipping the wall with his right rear tyre and therefore requiring an early pit stop.

Leclerc, having started eighth on the grid after his crash in qualifying, surged through the field and took the lead when both Mercedes came into the pits.

The Monegasque waited until Lap 35 to come into the pits for his first stop but by then, it seemed too late for the youngster to do anything to slow down Bottas and Hamilton.

For such an exciting race venue in Baku, it was rare to have so few incidents but there was one of the more bizarre clashes, as Daniel Ricciardo reversed into Daniil Kvyat and both drivers were forced to retire.

That forced a virtual safety car and, despite a late challenge from Hamilton, Bottas held on to claim his second victory of the season.