Bottas was not to blame for his Baku crash as worrying scenario detailed

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended in a rather unusual way for Finnish driver, who saw his race come to a premature conclusion on the final lap after crashing at Turn 15. Bottas initially locked up at Turn 1, but what followed was far more complicated than a simple driving mistake.

Speaking to GPblog and other media, the Cadillac driver explained that the lock-up appeared to trigger a chain reaction within the car’s systems, causing them to become 'confused' and resulting in a strange sequence of events as he approached the final sector.

Bottas revealed that the problem eventually led to a major “super-clip”, during which the rear of the car stopped responding as expected under braking. He said he was effectively left relying on the front brakes, making it impossible to slow the car sufficiently for Turn 15 before he ended up in the barriers. Bottas added that the team would now have to investigate exactly what happened to the car’s systems in the closing stages of the race.

Bottas’ crash in the closing stages of the race was not the only aspect of the incident to attract attention, with the FIA’s decision-making also becoming a talking point. Despite the Cadillac ending up in the barriers at Turn 15, race control opted against deploying either a Safety Car or a Virtual Safety Car, allowing the race to continue without a full neutralisation.

Instead, the incident was covered by double-waved yellow flags in the affected section of the circuit. This meant the drivers were warned of the stationary Cadillac while the leaders were still able to race towards the chequered flag. The FIA ultimately determined that the double-waved yellows provided sufficient protection for the situation and allowed the race to continue as normal until the chequered flag.

From a sporting perspective, the decision ultimately added to the drama of the finish. Russell and Verstappen remained locked in a tense battle for the win, with the two drivers separated by just a handful of tenths as they entered the final stages. By choosing not to neutralise the race, the FIA allowed the fight to play out on track, with Russell eventually holding off Verstappen by just 0.196 seconds at the chequered flag.