Event of the Day: Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Our event of the day is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held on the streets of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku. The fourth race of the F1 season will present a chance for Lewis Hamilton to both extend his lead at the top of the driver’s championship, as well as defend his title at the race. However, Valtteri Bottas will start the race in pole position after an excellent qualifying run. Be sure you don’t miss any of the exciting action today. Through the first three races of the 2019 season, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have firmly been in control. The constructor has seen first and second place finishes from its two drivers in every race so far. Valtteri Bottas pulled off a surprise win in the season’s opening race in Australia before finishing second in Bahrain and China. Meanwhile, his teammate Lewis Hamilton did the inverse, finishing second in Australia before winning in Bahrain and China. This has left Hamilton atop the driver’s standings, clear of his teammate by six points.
Meanwhile, the much-vaunted year of Ferrari is yet to come to fruition. The new car design, the title chasing veteran in Sebastian Vettel and the hungry young star in Charles Leclerc were all lauded by pundits to be the pieces needed to break the decade-long title drought for the Italian constructor. Vettel and Leclerc have managed two podium finishes between them, with Leclerc finishing third in Bahrain and Vettel doing the same in China. This has left the two Ferrari drivers in fourth and fifth in the standings. This is due to a standout early performance by the young Dutch driver Max Verstappen. In his second year with Aston Martin, the 21-year-old has managed a podium finish in Australia and finished fourth in the season’s other two races. However, he will be eager to find his first win since the 2018 Mexican Grand Prix in October of last year. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is one of the newest additions to the F1 season, having first been raced in 2017. It’s a perfect chance for Hamilton to continue his dominance, as he enters today’s race as the defending champion. There was plenty of excitement so far, with a loose drain cover ruining the first free practice of George Russell. That was followed by both Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton coming off the track in the second free practice as they tried to match the incredibly quick time of Charles Leclerc. However, qualifying held the most excitement. A major crash derailed Leclerc’s run and it is Valtteri Bottas who will start in pole today. Be sure you don’t miss what is sure to be an exciting race.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the London Marathon, which takes place on the streets of London today. The twenty-six mile course that passes many of the city’s iconic landmarks will set the stage for a showdown between Mo Farah and Eliud Kipchoge. Kipchoge set a new world record for a marathon in Berlin last September. Kipchoge is also a three-time winner in London, winning his third title last year. Last year also happened to be Farah’ marathon debut where he finished third. With Farah eager to best the Kenyan this time around, you will not want to miss this race. Elsewhere, in the Premier League, Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford for a crucial Premier League match. The two teams are locked in a battle for a place in the top four. However, United have lost three of their last four league matches and are on a three-game losing streak. Similarly, Chelsea are winless in their last three league games, most recently being held to a 2-2 draw by Burnley. With both teams looking to bounce back from recent periods of poor form and top four positioning on the line, this is going to be a match to remember. In county cricket, the Royal London One-Day Cup continues across England. On the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic of New Orleans concludes at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana. In Major League Rugby, the Toronto Arrows host the Seattle Seawolves at the York Lions Stadium in Toronto. On the ATP Tour, the Hungarian Open concludes at Sport 11 in Budapest.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy
Photos by F1