Hamilton lucks into Azerbaijan GP win in another F1 thriller
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The 2018 Formula One season produced another cracker on Sunday as Lewis Hamilton won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Hamilton took advantage of an error from Sebastian Vettel and a puncture for team-mate Valtteri Bottas, to claim his first win of the season.
Kimi Raikkonen was second for Ferrari, with Sergio Perez coming through an action-packed race to finish third for Force India.
Vettel ended fourth, while Red Bull team-mates Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen took each other out in a high-speed smash following a number of near misses earlier in the race.
It was a fortunate result for Hamilton, who chased Vettel hard in the early stages. But a mid-race lock-up forced an early pit-stop and that appeared to be his chance of victory gone.
The Red Bull collision brought out the safety car, however. Hamilton was third at this stage, but that immediately become second when Vettel locked up while trying to overtake Bottas for the lead.
And just one lap later, the Finn ran over debris and suffered a puncture, allowing Hamilton to sweep by for his 63rd career win.
The result has left Hamilton with a four-point lead over Vettel in the standings, in what is proving to be a thrilling and super-competitive season.
Our latest Formula One odds have the German as the title favourite, albeit narrowly. Vettel is 10/11 to win his fifth world championship this year, with Hamilton chalked up at 11/10.
And it’s similarly close when it comes to the Spanish Grand Prix betting.
Bottas, who has been cruelly denied victory in the last two races, is best of the rest at 13/2.
Ricciardo is 9/1, with Verstappen at 10/1, and it is a given now that both men will be out to make amends in Barcelona.
Click here for all the latest Formula One odds.
All Odds and Markets correct as of date of publication
