Lewis Hamilton ‘sacrificed’ victory bid to help Valtteri Bottas win

Valtteri Bottas celebrated his second win of the season in Baku. Picture: Getty.

Lewis Hamilton said he afforded Valtteri Bottas an easy ride by sacrificing his own hopes of victory on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Bottas came within centimetres of a collision as they drove wheel-to-wheel through the opening three bends in Baku but, thanks to the skill of both men, damage was avoided.

Bottas prevailed and it was where the race, which failed to live up to expectations, was ultimately won. The Mercedes drivers were allowed to fight to the chequered flag but Hamilton did not have enough in the tank to stop Bottas from winning for a second time this season. The Finn now leads the five-time world champion by one point in the standings.

Mercedes became the first team to start the season with four one-two finishes.

On a poor weekend for