Summary

Live Reporting

Lorraine McKenna

  1. Leclerc pits

    Lap 20/51

    Charles Leclerc decides to jump off the DRS train and come into the pits for a set of hard tyres. The Ferrari man rejoins the action in 12th place.

  2. 'Silly move to try from Albon'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Albon just came in for a fresh set of hard tyres which would theoretically have taken him to the end of the race.

    It's a bit of a silly move to try really.

  3. Lap 19/51

    The collision between Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto is under investigation by the stewards, and they've decided to hand Albon a 10-second time penalty.

  4. Lap 18/51

    Just before that contact between Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto we saw a shot of Oscar Piastri watching the race on a plastic chair, a bit like Charles Leclerc sitting on the hill in Zandvoort.

  5. Abbi Pulling
    F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    That's exactly what I thought George Russell might start saying. Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson are on an old medium tyre, whereas Russell is on the hard tyre. He really thinks he has the pace to make this ground up.

  6. Albon and Colapinto collide

    Lao 17/51

    Lewis Hamilton reaches Turn Seven but the Ferrari man locks up and narrowly avoids the wall. Phew. The seven-time world champion stays in ninth but he's lost out in the fight to catch the McLaren of Lando Norris.

    Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto have collided at Turn Five! Both drivers carry on but Argentine Colapinto will have to change those flat-spotted tyres. It was the Williams that tagged the Alpine.

  7. Team radio - Russell

    "I think I've got a tyre advantage to get past Lawson."

  8. Lap 16/51

    Williams call in Alex Albon to change to a set of the hard compound, while George Russell tells Mercedes he's got the goods to get past Liam Lawson for third.

  9. Top five

    Lap 16/51

    1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

    2. Carlos Sainz (Williams)

    3. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

    4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

    5. George Russell (Mercedes)

  10. Lap 15/51

    Alex Albon was our first red flag in yesterday's qualifying, crashing out in Q1. But the Williams driver has nicked a spot today by overtaking the Alpine of Pierre Gasly for P17.

  11. Abbi Pulling
    F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I wouldn't be surprised in the Mercedes battle if they release George Russell to go and attack Liam Lawson because he's got so much more pace on his team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

    George RussellReuters

  12. 'Verstappen very much in control'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent

    Max Verstappen will have been taking it easy with the tyres and that is why he didn't pull away from Carlos Sainz in the first few laps, but he's just beginning to pull away now.

    He's very much in control, he's just easing his way, building a bit of a gap and making sure he's in the best position he can be.

    Max Verstappen in BakuGetty Images

  13. Lap 14/51

    George Russell is clocking the fastest laps of this Baku race, so what will Mercedes do now with Kimi Antonelli? Russell is on the hard tyre and has the pace, Antonelli is a medium runner and not making much of a dent on Liam Lawson in P3.

  14. Lap 13/51

    Oliver Bearman in climbing up the order and the Haas rookie sweeps past the Alpine of Pierre Gasly into Turn One to take the Fenchman's P16.

  15. Lap 12/51

    What can Charles Leclerc do on his medium tyre? The Monegasque driver has lifted his Ferrari from 10th to seventh but he's not close enough yet to make the attack on Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda.

    Toto Wolff is watching on from the Mercedes garage as a poorly George Russell gains on his younger team-mate Kimi Antonelli.

  16. Lap 11/51

    Race leader Max Verstappen has pulled a three-second gap to Carlos Sainz in second place, but the Williams man, and Liam Lawson in third, are not under any threat just yet from the chasing pack. Kimi Antonelli is also keeping his nose clean in fourth spot.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  17. 'Russell makes it look easy'

    Abbi Pulling
    F1 Academy champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Going into the DRS zone and down into Turn Three, George Russell manages to get the slipstream into the braking zone and makes it look easy. The overlap speed [on Yuki Tsunoda] was enough for the Mercedes to take it with ease.

  18. Get Involved

    #BBCF1, f1@bbc.co.uk

    Jeremiah Kariuki: Piastri may look at Baku at the end of the season, and say, "this is the race that made me lose the Championship! Or the race, that almost lost the Championship". That will depend on how recovers from the nightmares of Baku.

    Nulla Pax: Max should be smiling. This is such a psychological boost against both the McLaren boys.

  19. Russell overtakes Tsunoda

    Lap 10/51

    George Russell positions his car on the outside of Yuki Tsunoda as we reach lap 10 of this Azerbaijan Grand Prix and by Turn Three, the Mercedes man is able to take the Red Bull's fifth place to return to where he started.

  20. Lap 9/51

    The Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda is keeping the threat of George Russell at bay. But this battle is bringing Ferrari's Charles Leclerc's into play. Tsunoda and Russell are on the long main straight but the Mercedes still can't find a way past the Japanese driver.