Image Credits - Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton crossed the line in last place at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2021 after a costly error on the final lap.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton lost the Drivers’ championship to Max Verstappen last year on the final day of the season. Although it was hard to pinpoint where the Briton may have lost ground on the Dutchman, Hamilton missed a great chance to capitalize on the Red Bull driver at the Azerbaijan GP in June 2021.
Lewis Hamilton had a supreme start to the Azerbaijan GP from second place as overtook polesitter Charles Leclerc after only two laps. The Monegasque continued to slip down the order as both Red Bulls had also overtaken the Ferrari star. However, a slow pitstop for Hamilton saw him come out behind Championship leader Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
But there was more drama to follow as Verstappen crashed out due to a puncture and the red flag, with four laps remaining, meant that Hamilton had the opportunity to close the gap on the Dutchman in the point table and also potentially win the race if he got a better start than Perez, as there were only two laps remaining after the restart.
However, soon as the lights went out at the restart, Hamilton appeared to get an excellent start ahead of Perez but the Briton failed to make the move stick and didn’t make the turn as his Mercedes skated off into the runoff area near Turn 1. Hamilton eventually fell to the bottom of the pack and finished the race in 16th place, failing to get any points in Baku. Hamilton later revealed that he pressed an incorrect switch on his steering wheel which turned the brakes off, leading him to lock up and go down the escape road.
More Formula One news: