Hamilton and Ocon to start from F1 Azerbaijan GP pit lane
15th September 2024Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is set to start the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from the pit lane, alongside Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, after both drivers changed their power units.
Feature image credit: Mercedes F1
Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hamilton qualified seventh for the race, with Ocon down in 20th after a turbulent weekend with power unit issues. However, now both drivers will start the race from the pit lane after they have changed their power units ahead of Sunday’s race.
Hamilton has now taken his fifth internal combustion engine (ICE), turbocharger (TC), and motor generator unit – heat and kinetic (MGU-H and MGU-K). Ocon, on the other hand, took his fifth ICE, TC and MGU-H.
Whilst no one will move up from Ocon’s pit lane start, qualifying at the back of the grid, Hamilton’s penalty will allow the drivers to move up one position. This is in addition to Alpine’s Pierre Gasly’s disqualification for his fuel flow breach.
As such, those who start from eighth or lower will move up at least one position, which will benefit the likes of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who will now start the race in 15th after a shock Q1 exit in qualifying.
The championship contender had suffered a poor qualifying mishap when he lifted for a yellow flag, for a slow-moving Ocon who had punctured his tyre. As such, he found himself 11 places adrift of his championship rival, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
However, Hamilton’s penalty and Gasly’s disqualification mean the championship protagonists find themselves nine places apart.
Despite the penalties, there are ample opportunities for drivers to overtake around the Baku street circuit.
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
