Throwback: Vettel's deliberate Baku clash with Hamilton nine years ago

Nine years ago today, the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix delivered one of modern Formula 1's most shocking moments. Sebastian Vettel deliberately drove his Ferrari into the side of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes behind the safety car, turning a tense championship rivalry into an outright flashpoint on the streets of Baku.

Why it matters:

• The incident exposed a rare loss of composure from Vettel, who was mounting a serious title challenge and could ill afford the championship blow.
• It stands as one of the most blatant examples of deliberate contact between title contenders in modern F1 history, raising serious questions about sportsmanship while the race was neutralized.

The details:

• On lap 19, Vettel misjudged Hamilton's pace and damaged his front wing by running into the back of the Mercedes under caution.
• Rather than accepting the situation, Vettel pulled alongside Hamilton and steered into him, making deliberate wheel-to-wheel contact while the field was neutralized.
• Stewards slapped Vettel with a 10-second stop-go penalty for dangerous driving. FIA telemetry later confirmed Hamilton had not brake-tested him, contradicting Vettel's initial claims.
• Hamilton ultimately lost a certain victory when a loose headrest forced an unscheduled pit stop. Vettel's penalty cost him any chance of winning, allowing Daniel Ricciardo to triumph from 10th on the grid.
• Valtteri Bottas completed a stunning recovery from a lap down to snatch second from Lance Stroll by just 0.105 seconds on the run to the line.

The big picture:

Beyond Ricciardo's opportunistic win and Bottas's recovery drive, the Hamilton-Vettel collision remains the enduring image of Baku 2017. The incident crystallized the fierce pressure of that season's title fight and proved costly for Vettel, who eventually lost the championship. Nine years on, it stands as a defining example of how tempers fray when a world title is on the line.