AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2017 LIVE: Race updates from Baku
14:05 IT’S LIGHTS OUT and it’s an awful start for Valterri Bottas but not as bad as Carlo Sainz.
The Spaniard is clipped by team-mate Daniil Kvyat and is spun at the back.
Up front it was a clean getaway for Hamilton but Bottas has dropped right down the field after making contact with Raikkonen as debris scatters the track from both cars.
Vettel capitalises and moves up to second as Bottas heads to the pit lane. It’s not the start he wanted.
13:55: National anthem done. Azerbaijan flag raised. The cars are on the grid. We’re all set.
Oh, and the sun is shining.
In fact, according to the FIA, there is a zero per cent chance of rain during today’s race.
Can Lewis Hamilton
13:45: The cars are out on the track running through their final checks with just 15 minutes until lights out.
Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz is expecting a fairly straightforward race.
“It’s quite a straightforward one-stop race here,” Kravitz said.
“The top 10 on the supersofts will go to lap 12 or even as long as lap 20 and then go onto the yellow-striped soft tyre to the end, lap 51.”
13:35: Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel insists he won’t be down on power despite having to make an engine change.
The German starts fourth in less than half an hours’ time, but is remaining calm on the challenge ahead.
When asked ahead of the race if his car will be less powerful in Azerbaijan, Vettel replied: “Not really. It wasn’t what we wanted, the engine has served us well in the past but it’s just another one.
“Here you can pass, not like Monaco, and you’ve got a long straight, but you know it’s never easy.”
13:20: Here’s how the drivers line up on the grid:
Row 1
1. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes-Mercedes
2. Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes-Mercedes
Row 2
3. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Ferrari-Ferrari
4. Sebastian Vettel GER Ferrari-Ferrari
Row 3
5. Max Verstappen NED Red Bull-TAG Heuer
6. Sergio Perez MEX Force India-Mercedes
Row 4
7. Esteban Ocon FRA Force India-Mercedes
8. Lance Stroll CAN Williams-Mercedes
Row 5
9. Felipe Massa BRZ Williams-Mercedes
10. Daniel Ricciardo AUS Red Bull-TAG Heuer
Row 6
11. Daniil Kvyat RUS Toro Rosso-Renault
12. Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas-Ferrari
Row 7
13. Nico Hulkenberg GER Renault-Renault
14. Pascal Wehrlein GER Sauber-Ferrari
Row 8
15. Carlos Sainz Jr ESP Toro Rosso-Renault*
16. Romain Grosjean FRA Haas-Ferrari
Row 9
17. Marcus Ericsson SWE Sauber-Ferrari
18. Jolyon Palmer GBR Renault-Renault
Row 10
19. Stoffel Vandoorne BEL McLaren-Honda**
20. Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren-Honda***
* 3 place grid penalty applied (penalty from Canadian Grand Prix crash)
** 35 place grid penalty applied (engine penalties)
*** 40 place grid penalty applied (engine penalties)
13:00: Welcome to our live updates page from all the action in what’s set to be a thrilling race in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Just in case you missed it yesterday, Lewis Hamilton secured pole position on the very last lap.
He’ll be hoping he doesn’t put himself under that much pressure this afternoon as he looks to close the gap on rival Sebastian Vettel at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
The German starts fourth on the grid with Hamilton’s Mercedes team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, second and Kimi Raikkonen in third.
