VALTTERI BOTTAS converted his pole position into a victory in the 2019 Azerbaijan GP as Ferrari again failed to take the fight to Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton came home in second place as the Silver Arrows made it a one-two in the opening four races of the campaign.
Hamilton did have a chance to fight the Finn in the final three laps but he eventually had to settle for the second step on the podium.
But, despite all the pre-race promise, Ferrari’s Vettel could only finish third while Charles Leclerc was fifth behind Max Verstappen.
Bottas said: “Lewis was putting the pressure on all the time and I was not making any mistakes, so I was happy to see the chequered flag.
“It means a lot to be leading the championship, I am so proud of that and we are all performing really well as a team. It is only my fifth win and it carriers on the momentum.”
Hamilton, who started in second place, added: “Congratulations to Valtteri. He drove a fantastic race and deserves the win.
INCIDENT-FREE GP
“But it was all lost in qualifying, although it was a great result for the team and best start to a season we have ever had.”
It was a surprisingly dreary race in Baku, as the expected accidents, red flags and safety car periods failed to materialise.
Despite the talking points from Friday’s practice when a drain-cover worked loose and slammed into George Russell’s Williams, and on Saturday when Charles Leclerc and Robert Kubica crashed heavily, the only contact was between Daniel Ricciardo and Daniil Kyvat, forcing both cars to retire.
Mercedes’s success aside, Vettel will again wonder just how Ferrari did not delivery him a car of challenging for the win.
And Leclerc too will be wondering just why his team kept him out on worn tyres for so long when he was leading the race.
MORE F1 STORIES
Mercedes’s one-two, plus more disappointment for Ferrari, means they have a 74-point lead over the Italian team in the constructors’ championship.
Vettel said: “It was crucial to get third and there is still plenty of work for us to do. The last four races we were not there and we are not the favourites going to Barcelona.
“We need to chase Mercedes down and looking forward to a smooth weekend. But it is crucial to catch them and turn things around.”
