Chapter 1450 - 547: Lynk & Co’s Historic Moment
Before this, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix had already concluded, and the race results were out.
Qin Miao thought Verstappen would be the winner, but surprisingly it was Perez who clinched the victory.
After watching the replay of the race at home, Qin Miao realized this was the result of multiple factors at play.
After all, Perez’s lap speed wasn’t slow on the track, and Hamilton managed to contain Verstappen, who couldn’t find a good setup.
A delicate balance was formed among the three.
Therefore, the positions at the top didn’t change significantly after Qin Miao retired from the race.
Ultimately, Perez benefited from De Vries’ creation of a safety car-like situation to secure the Grand Prix victory.
Though there was a significant element of luck, a victory is still a victory.
The final standings and points for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix are as follows:
P1: Perez+25
P2: Verstappen+18
P3: Hamilton+15
P4: Leclerc+12
P5: Alonso+10
P6: Sainz+8
P7: Stroll+6
P8: Norris+4
P9: Tsunoda+2
P10: Piastri+1
The fastest lap wasn’t set by one of the top ten finishers; it was Qin Miao’s. No one tried to beat Qin Miao’s fastest lap on the final lap.
But since Qin Miao didn’t finish in the top ten or even complete the race, this point isn’t included.
The FIA missed out, losing a point’s worth of money from the drivers.
The top three are nothing to highlight, showcasing their usual stellar performance.
What brought tears to the Iron Buddha Temple was Leclerc finally securing his loyal fourth position.
Moreover, Leclerc’s performance over the Grand Prix weekend was exceptional, finishing second in the sprint and fourth in the main race, contributing 19 points to Ferrari.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda scored points, achieving Lynk & Co Team’s first scoring feat.
And it’s only been three races since Lynk & Co Team joined the F1 family.
Thus, after the race, the live broadcast showed not only Red Bull’s pit room celebrating but also Lynk & Co’s pit room adorned in black and gold.
Both sides celebrated joyfully.
The difference is that in the previous race, Red Bull’s staff could hang on the trackside barriers, but this time they celebrated inside the pit room.
Lynk & Co’s scoring also lightened the shadow of De Vries’ retirement. It’s believed that amid the busy weekend, the team would give the staff a break or some bonuses.
One must say, the base left by the junior Red Bull team is indeed strong, and the competitiveness of the cars is visibly evident. The junior Red Bull team also made considerable improvements in car performance in later stages.
Meanwhile, the McLaren Team’s progress is also evident since implementing a three-step strategy.
This might be the foundation of a veteran strong team; from retiring one car and relegating the other at the season’s start, to now scoring with both, McLaren took only three races, utilizing a three-week spring break to adjust.
At least compared to Ferrari, McLaren’s progress is visible to everyone.
After the race, the driver standings are as follows:
1: Verstappen: 88
2: Qin Miao: 73
3: Hamilton: 66
4: Perez: 58
5: Alonso: 46
6: Leclerc: 29
7: Sainz: 25
8: Stroll: 23
9: Norris: 10
10: O’Kang: 4
11: Gasly: 4
12: Zhou Guanyu: 4
13: Bottas: 4
14: Hockenheim: 4
15: Piastri: 3
16: Tsunoda: 2
Verstappen surpassed Qin Miao due to a sprint race first place and a second in the main race, gaining a 15-point lead, equivalent to Norris and O’Kang’s combined total, and they still owe a point.
Meanwhile, Leclerc also surpassed his teammate Sainz in the driver standings. Clearly, this race brought Leclerc luck, leaving bad luck behind.
However, given the fierce competition between Mercedes and Red Bull, Leclerc, driving a non-competitive Ferrari, will find it especially hard to step onto the podium this season.
Meanwhile, the team standings are as follows:
1. Red Bull: 146
2. Mercedes: 139
3. Aston Martin: 69
4. Ferrari: 54
5. McLaren: 13
6. Alpine: 8
7. Alfa Romeo: 8
8. Haas: 4
9. Lynk & Co: 2
10. Williams: 0
After the race, Red Bull successfully overtook Mercedes in the team standings after their two drivers secured the top 12.
But for Mercedes, the good news is the points gap with Red Bull isn’t large, and the season has just started, offering potential for recovery.
The next day after returning home, Qin Miao received an email from the team.
His car, after being disassembled and inspected at the team headquarters, indeed revealed issues.
Though the problem isn’t massive, it isn’t trivial either.
As Qin Miao felt on the track, the internal combustion engine had issues.
There’s a crack on the crankshaft, although severe externally, the structure is relatively stable and hasn’t spread internally.