All the words at Baku were still "wind"; either how it affected Qualifying or how much there was for the race.  Ocon was disqualified from Qualifying, as his car failed a rear wing flexi test, so he would be starting from the back of the grid.

On the way to the starting grid, Hadjar had a hydraulics failure and Racing Bull had to work on the car to fix it on the pit straight.

The Azerbaijani anthem is really quite something and there was quite a dramatic version of it.  Sainz managed to contain his laughter whilst Antonelli openly had the giggles.  Hadjar could crack a smile too as his car had been righted.  Causing tears, was the prediction by James Vowles of Williams that rain was coming.

Continuing an awful weekend for the Driver's Championship leader, Piastri was into the wall on the first lap, bringing out the Safety Car.  He locked up and just went straight forwards.  This followed him jumping the start and then stopping, so he was late off the grid to start with.  Otherwise, the top six had remained as they were.  Luckily for Oscar, the lull for the Safety Car meant that we could watch many many replays of the events, from every possible angle and from every possible car.  

In the replays we saw what looked like Alonso also jumping the start, then the stewards looked at it.  He was given a five second penalty.  Piastri got one too and he will have to serve it at Singapore possibly.

Verstappen did a great restart as always.  Antonelli got a good one and Russell fell a couple of places back.  Norris also fell back a place, losing it to LeClerc.  The cars at the back were playing an interesting game with the tyre strategy and pitting at odd times.  Albon was stuck at the back.  Having taken another stop, he came together with Colapinto and tipped him nearly out of the race.  I'm not sure why there wasn't a Safety Car.  Albon was given a ten second penalty.

The first round of proper stops arrived and there was no sign of this rain.  What Williams needed to do was sacrifice Albon, who was running in 16th, to get the Safety Car out for Sainz to get a free pit stop to get him to the end of the race.  On lap 28, Sainz came in.

On Lap 37, I noticed that nothing much had happened for a long time.  There was still only one retiree as well.  Norris did come in for his stop and it was another slow one from his team; there was nothing they could do to make amends for it this weekend.

Russell was the last driver to pit and was the only person who really made a jump through strategy; he overtook Sainz for second place.  Heartbreaking for Williams.  Then Albon reported light rain.  It never came or no one else noticed it.

Verstappen and his pit wall team were delighted with the win.  Russell was relieved.  Sainz was the happiest: "best podium in my career guys, you cannot imagine how this feels, thank you so much."  He was voted driver of the day.  All the staff from the team were there at Parc Ferme to celebrate.

If Carlos was the best, who was the worst?  Albon for being the first crasher in Qualifying meaning he started at the back and got into a lot of bother?  Norris for failing to make up a single place from 7th despite driving the best car?  Piastri?  Well, yes, him.

It was expected that the Constructors' Championship would be McLaren's this weekend and neither of their drivers delivered.  Still, we roll on to Singapore.

Russell looked appalling as he was interviewed before the podium, an awful grey shade of pale but he did congratulate Williams first.  LeClerc had been quick over the radio to check if Sainz was on the podium.  Verstappen didn't manage such manners.

Azerbaijan GP Qualifying Report

Russell came into this race weekend ill, which is something that seems to happen to him as a long season goes on.  The McLarens were the quickest cars bar driver errors, which did happen in practice.  This is the first event that they could win the Constructors' Championship at.

The first session started going well and then Albon hit the wall as he turned around the corner and came to a stop on the track, bringing out a Red Flag and stopping the session.  This was a shame for Williams as they were looking strong.  They were only out for five minutes when Hulkenberg went straight into a wall and shattered the front of his car all over the place.  He got going again though.  Off they went again and finally, they just about got to 0:00 when Gasly went off and the session finished on a Red Flag.  Out went Colapinto, Hulkenberg, Ocon, Gasly and Albon.  It turned out the Red Flag was for Colapinto, who should have been driving slower under the Yellow Flag for Gasly and ran into the wall and smashed up his car.  He got out and gave the wall a kick in frustration.

In the second session, we got three minutes in before Bearman hit the wall sideways and broke his suspension for another Red Flag.  The session had already been delayed for the walls around the circuit to be checked and fixed.  It looked like it wouldn't be who put in the fastest lap who got pole but the only driver left standing.  LeClerc had two iffy moments and Piastri another.  The wind was catching drivers out and even Stroll couldn't get daddy to pay for it to go away.  In the end it was a shocker for Hamilton, who thought he could be on for pole, who went out in 12th, with Alonso ahead of him and Bortoleto, Stroll and Bearman behind.

In the third session we had rain!  Russell spun around and Verstappen said it was too wet to be on track, certainly on the dry tyres.  It was another three minutes until the Red Flag was waved again, this time for LeClerc who went nose-first into the wall.  Antonelli said that going on the white lines was like driving on ice.  After another three minutes, Piastri went into the wall for a sixth Red Flag; he carried too much speed and went into the wall.

At the final shoot out, it looked a little wet on track so there was hope that Sainz could keep his pole (having put in the first quickest lap before the two Red Flags).  Norris was the first to try but brushed the wall.  Russell was nearly half a second slower.  Verstappen was able to do it though, putting in a purple first sector.  Was it all down to the timing a driver was sent to the track?  The top ten was Verstappen, Sainz, Lawson, Antonelli, Russell (interesting order for the Mercedes), Tsunoda (much needed), Norris, Hadjar, Piastri and LeClerc.