Valtteri Bottas claims Azerbaijan GP as Mercedes continues to dominate

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas won the Azerbaijan GP to move clear at the top of the drivers’ standings after four races of the 2019 season.

The Finnish driver now has two wins and two second-place finishes but sits above teammate Lewis Hamilton, courtesy of a bonus point he claimed by recording the fastest lap in Australia.

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Hamilton, who finished second behind Bottas, capped off a good day for Mercedes, which extended its lead at the top of the team championship to 74-points.

It was the fourth Mercedes one-two finish of the season, an all-time record in the sport.

Formula E 2018/19 —

The 2018/19 Formula E season proved to be a thriller, with the exciting new Gen2 cars boasting top speeds of 280km/h. Eight different drivers won the first eight races in a season that went down to the wire.

Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne became the first double champion in the sport's history, defending the title he won last season thanks to three race victories.

Robin Frijns won his second E-Prix of the season, storming to victory in the final race of 2018/19 in New York.

Former world champion Sebastian Buemi claimed his first victory of 2018/19 at the first of a double-header in New York.

Jean-Eric Vergne strengthened his grip on the title with his third victory of the season in Bern, extending his lead to 38 points at the top of the championship.

Berlin, race 10 —

An ecstatic Lucas Di Grassi celebrated in style after dominating the Berlin E-Prix to close the gap at the top of the drivers' championship.

Formula E finally got its first repeat winner of the season in race nine, as Jean-Eric Vergne led from pole to finish to secure his second victory of the season.

Dutch driver Robin Frijns claimed victory in Paris on the day his country celebrated its national King's Day. The Envision Virgin Racing man was the eighth different driver to win the eight races so far this season.

Mitch Evans victory at the Rome ePrix was Jaguar's first in motorsport since 1991. The Kiwi is the only driver to score points in the seven races so far this season.

Sanya, race six —

Jean-Eric Vergne put an end to a miserable run of form that saw him go pointless for three straight races by taking victory in Sanya, the first time the championship had visited the south China city

Hong Kong, race five —

Edoardo Mortara backed up his third place in Mexico by claiming top spot in Hong Kong, Venturi's first ever victory in Formula E. Sam Bird had initially crossed the line in first place but after a four-hour investigation, was demoted for smashing into the back of race leader Andre Lotterer.

Mexico City, race four —

Former world champion Lucas Di Grassi celebrates his victory at the Mexico ePrix, arguably the most thrilling race in the sport's five seasons. Race leader Pascal Wehrlein's battery died just meters from the line, allowing Di Grassi to swoop past on the inside and snatch victory.

Santiago, race three —

On a sweltering afternoon in Santiago, Chile -- the hottest ePrix in history -- Sam Bird stormed to victory at the Parque O'Higgins Circuit. After finishing third overall last season, the Briton will have hopes of coming out on top this time around.

Marrakesh, race two —

Jerome d'Ambrosio followed up his podium finish in Saudi Arabia with victory in Marrakesh -- his third in Formula E -- to take an early lead at the top of the championship.

Ad Diriyah, race one —

The season got off to a thrilling start in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, as Portuguese driver Antonio Felix da Costa edged out Jean-Eric Vergne and Jerome d'Ambrosio to claim the second Formula E win of his career.

The 2018/19 Formula E season

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After starting in pole position, Bottas was relieved the race went to plan in what was only his fifth career win.

“It was actually a tough race even though not that much was happening at the front – Lewis was putting on pressure, but everything was under control. I’m happy to take the chequered flag and take first place,” he told reporters after the race.

In opposing fortunes, Ferrari had a day to forget after questionable tactical decisions saw drivers Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc finish third and fifth respectively.

Leclerc, who had crashed in qualifying, may have felt fourth place was there for the taking but he was unable to get ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton completed a wonderful one-two finish for Mercedes.

Hamilton congratulated his teammate for the win and credited everyone behind the scenes for an unrivaled start of the season for Mercedes.

“It’s a team effort, everyone at the factory is working non-stop and come back more hungry for success. I’m really grateful to be part of it. For once we were able to push all the way,” he told reporters.

Further back, Racing Point’s Sergio Perez finished in sixth while Carlos Sainz finished ahead of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris in seventh.

Lance Stroll and Kimi Raikkonen occupied the final points positions.

The next F1 race will take place in Barcelona, Spain on May 12.