Race start, Baku Street Circuit, 2022

Vote for your 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Driver of the Weekend

2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Which Formula 1 driver made the most of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend?

It’s time to give your verdict on which driver did the best with the equipment at their disposal over the last three days.

Review how each driver got on below and vote for who impressed you the most at Baku City Circuit.

Driver performance summary

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Vote for your driver of the weekend

Which driver do you think did the best job throughout the race weekend?

Who got the most out of their car in qualifying and the race? Who put their team mate in the shade?

Cast your vote below and explain why you chose the driver you picked in the comments.

Who was the best driver of the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

  • No opinion (1%)
  • Kevin Magnussen (1%)
  • Mick Schumacher (0%)
  • Nicholas Latifi (1%)
  • Alexander Albon (0%)
  • Guanyu Zhou (2%)
  • Valtteri Bottas (0%)
  • Sebastian Vettel (8%)
  • Lance Stroll (0%)
  • Yuki Tsunoda (1%)
  • Pierre Gasly (13%)
  • Fernando Alonso (3%)
  • Esteban Ocon (0%)
  • Daniel Ricciardo (3%)
  • Lando Norris (0%)
  • Carlos Sainz Jnr (0%)
  • Charles Leclerc (13%)
  • Sergio Perez (3%)
  • Max Verstappen (15%)
  • George Russell (17%)
  • Lewis Hamilton (19%)

Total Voters: 144

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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26 comments on “Vote for your 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Driver of the Weekend”

  1. If not for Hamilton’s heroic drive, Gasly perhaps best of the rest in a boring weekend that didn’t help on watching thrilling battles on Saturday or Sunday.

    1. Jockey Ewing
      12th June 2022, 23:20

      Yes, imo Gasly and Tsunoda could have had a much better result, but maybe they overestimated their advantage coming from their straight line speed and due to that they have decided not to pit during the VSC, while most have pitted, and then Hamilton was too fast for Gasly on the fresher tyres. It was a bit brave and optimistic decision from AT, and played out very poorly for them. Although that straight line speed was really there, and that is nice to have in Baku.

      At the late stages, only half of the DRS opening for Tsunoda was a very interesting sight to see. At first I was not even sure what I am seeing. I thought maybe it is only due to the lot of shadows of the the many buildings and trees, and my eyes are fooling me, because the race was a bit harder to follow due to these shadows. I have a feeling that imagery-wise of the broadcast could sacrifice a bit of realism, for the sake of normalising the lights and shadows a tiny bit, to give a more consumable easier to follow picture/broadcast. I do no know whether it would annoy or bother some, most likely it would. But the adaptability of the human eye is imo higher than what cameras can capture/provide. So, I know there are challenges for race drivers in this field, like the tunnel in Monaco, especially exiting it, or driving with the sun in an uncomfortable posiiton, or rapid change of light and shady sections, but thanks to the adaptability of the eye, it is maybe not that drastic, apart from extremities like exiting the Monaco tunnel. (But I have no experience to decide it.) I mean, for example due to the sadows of Baku, I had to raise the brightness of my screen, because it was just dark, and not easy to follow.

      The same problem I have with the image quality of the visor cam. Ok, it is nice to see what theoretically the driver sees, but could not they normalize the lights a bit, would not that be a bit more consumable? I would not mind loosing a bit of realism, for the aforemnetioned reasons. For a while, I thought what do I not like about the visor cam, and this is it. To simplify the whole thing, I would just fit it on the outside of the helmet, because I just do not like the weaker image quality, due to being behind the visor. Imo the driver most likely sees more clearly, apart from extremities, edge cases.

      1. Jockey Ewing
        12th June 2022, 23:26

        Well, I do not know whether I have used the word “consumable” properly in this context, in mirror translation in my native language, a consumable broadcast, or a consumable something else would mean that that thing is enjoyable, good or at least ok.

        1. After the race Gasly mentioned that they did not have another set of hard tyres available and that was the reason why neither Alpha Tauri pitted Jockey Ewing (I guess they felt it was too early to pit for a set of mediums? Although it was clear that the mediums weren’t working great, so that makes sense)

          1. Jockey Ewing
            14th June 2022, 11:27

            Thanks for the info. Yes, for these cars (I mean practically all cars in the recent seasons) a strategy, which involves 2 sets of hards was most often very good. Most likely, because not just they durable, but the operational window (temperature-wise) were wider (by quite much although, I have not seen such info or data for the newest tyres… but i would like to see that).
            So imo yes, even a strategy with a set of new, and a set of used hards + a third stint on anyting, is generally a good idea. And iirc, to Baku the softest 3 compounds were delivered, mabye this was the problem with the mediums, that thy was quite sofite, and it was quite hottie :D

            I was a bit sad for the Alpha Tauris, especially Tsunoda lost a lot. As most of their close opponents pitted, I have felt their stint lentgh overly long.

            Interesting, is not it mandatory to spare at least a new set of hards for the race?
            (Although, from previous on screen graphics of previous seasons, it is quite obvious to me, that many tyre sets have run a few laps, before being fitted at the races.)
            According to the Pirelli graphics Vettel and Stroll used only used tyres at the race.
            Or running them a few laps is allowed (to qualify as a set of new)? According to my native commentators, many like to run them a little bit to increase durability for the race.

          2. Jockey Ewing
            14th June 2022, 11:33

            (The Pirelli graphics)
            http://content.presspage.com/uploads/2363/1920_08-az-pitstop-en.jpg?10000

            Sorry for the rudimentary effort. Iirc it can not link https via the provided button, so this is why I did this.

  2. I can’t take it away from Max, he won the race from 3rd. Lewis has to be up there for making the most of it (I’m not a Lewis fan, but respect his ability). Very unlucky for Charles, but I feel Max would have got him anyway.

  3. Nobody really stood out over qualifying and the race. Out of the top 3 teams, George Russell was the most consistent and presumably had to put up with the same painful car as Hamilton.

    1. @david-br According to reports, Lewis was running some experimental parts, which allegedly made his car harder and more difficult (than Georges car)

      1. @psynrg If so, you have to imagine he’s volunteering for this extra punishment. Maybe he needs to reassess.

  4. Went with Russell. Outqualified Lewis and stayed there. Grabbed the podium spot and didn’t really put a foot wrong, even if his race was probably a tad lonely.

    1. I wanted togo with Vettel but because of his mistake i went for George who was silent suffering the same as Lewis but in the end easy claimed third.

  5. Seb. The only one worth it this weekend.

  6. Curious, hamilton is currently leading the poll with a 4th place result! I went for verstappen this time, leclerc did a better job in quali but let perez pass him at start, and while he didn’t drive a bad race for the little time he had, I voted for him in the past in such occasions of unlucky retirements, but verstappen had a massive speed advantage over perez, still would’ve been interesting to see the battle happen. Russell like always maximising the potential of the car.

    1. Jockey Ewing
      13th June 2022, 6:34

      A bit unusually, the votes are distributed between many drivers, quite evenly, but I think in this case this is reflecting the truth. Imo this even distribution is rare at a pick-one-type of voting, but now it was very hard to pick one. There were many good/ok performances, relatively to the individual’s car, like: the championship’s top six drivers, apart from Sainz not having the opportunity of showing anything at the race. Additionally, ok race for many in the lower ranks as well, like Vettel, Albon, Alonso, Gasly, and the McLaren drivers. Tsunoda could be there but he was struck by the chosen strategy, and his DRS malfunction severely.

      1. Yes, that’s indeed unusual for votes to split so well and also true there’s not a dominator for all weekend.

  7. Weekend: 1: Pierre, 2: Max, 3:George
    Race: 1: Sebastian 2: Kevin

    George and Max drove without flaws over the weekend. Max should have done better Saturday, but perfect race.
    Charles and Pierre qualified outstandingly well. Really good laps. Pierre out-drove his car all weekend.
    Kevin for the first half of the race. Overtook a lot off camera. So underrated in unnoticeable car.
    Seb for the second half. Shame about the Esteban overtake.

    Feel bad for Lewis, but refuse a pity vote, after all the Mercedes is arguably the third fastest car and both Ferrari cars were dnf, so anything below 4th would be bad. Sergio votes are a mystery, he and Max are in the very best car. Zhou and Fernando only shine in contrast to counterparts, who had bad days. And I hate Fernandos qualifying antics – it may be be professional, but reaps no respect from me.
    Yuki’s quali was a nice change – and he raced better than usual until the wing issue. Mayhaps could have been good.
    Carlos, Daniel and Lando about as average as Alexander and Nicholas. And Mick and Lance were Mick and Lance.

  8. DOTW: As no one necessarily stood out throughout the weekend, I went for RUS as the most consistent through both QLF & the race, with an honorable mention to GAS.
    DOTD: HAM for enduring what he did & not giving up at any point, which he easily could’ve done.
    Honorable mentions to GAS & VET.

  9. People are voting for hamilton, just because he has pain in his back?!
    He was clearly outperformed by Russel once again.

    1. F1 is a bit more than just timesheets. But if you look at it plainly, yes you are right

      1. F1 is a bit more than just timesheets.

        So true. But what “unplain” points exactly indicates that Lewis did a better job than George?

        Oh, and nice to see a vote for Nicholas. That does not happen often :)

    2. Unbelieveble Hamilton is voted DOTW on this site.

  10. I voted for Sainz. DOTW consolation prize.

  11. Neil (@neilosjames)
    13th June 2022, 20:07

    No one really stood out, so a sympathy vote for Leclerc.

    1. There was no clear superperformer, with Russell outperforming Hamilton once again, but only inheriting the podium because the Ferrari engines couldn’t handle the heat. Red Bulls doing what they’re supposed to, nothing special. So although ‘no opinion’ looked an attractive vote as well, I’m giving mine to Pierre Gasly.

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