Pérez wins Azerbaijan GP to cut Verstappen's F1 championship ...
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Of course, we reconvene very quickly – next week, in Miami. That’ll be an entirely different affair, and I daresay Verstappen is up for that one given a lead at the top of the driver championship now whittled to six points.
Those Leclerc lines, transcribed: “They are in another league when it comes to the race,” he said of Red Bull who finished 21 seconds. “We are working out what we can do in the race to close the performance to Red Bull.”
And just kicking-off:
To read…
Driver standings1 Verstappen (Red Bull) 93
2 Perez (Red Bull) 87
3 Alonso (Aston Martin) 60
4 Hamilton (Mercedes) 48
5 Sainz (Ferrari) 34
6 Leclerc (Ferrari) 28
7 Russell (Mercedes) 28
8 Stroll (Aston Martin) 29
9 Norris (McLaren) 10
10 Hulkenberg (Haas) 6
Don’t miss this…
Time for the Mexican anthem.
“Not the most interesting race,” says Perez; “loneliest race ever,” says Leclerc, then “you were unlucky” to Verstappen, who admits Perez didn’t get the rub last year in Jeddah. Versatappz really has the confidence of a champ; he doesn’t seem bothered, especially, by his ill luck today because he has unshakeable confidence it’ll be him atop the podium at the end of the season.
Perez, the only man to win two Azerbaijan GPs, admits he and Verstappen both clipped walls, and he had a bit of luck not blowing up. But he thinks he and his team did well to hold off Verstappen.
Verstappen says it can’t be perfect all the time, some days you learn, and he got unlucky with the safety car but otherwise had a bit of an issue with his car and once he sorted it the last 10 laps were OK. Told it’ll be a tough, close season, he sounds less convinced, saying that remains to be seen.
Leclerc says he thinks his car is a bit better but Red Bull have found something they haven’t and though everyone’s working hard, when it comes to racing speed they can’t compete.
Finishing positionsSergio Pérez (Red Bul)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Carlos Sainz Jr (Ferrari)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Alexander Albon (Williams)
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Logan Sargeant (Mercedes)
Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) DNF
Nyck De Vries (AlphaTauri) DNF
“You got a little unlucky with the safety car there,” Horner tells Verstappen, but adds that it’s a long season and this is a good team result. “It is what it is,” says the champ perceptively.
“Well done guys! Well done!” Perez tells his team, punching the air. “Vamoooooossssss!”
Sergio Pérez wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Red Bull!Max Verstappen of Red Bull is second, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari third; George Russell does indeed bag the fastest-lap point.
Lap 51/51 Confusion in the pit lane as Ocon looks ready to come in, but there are people all over it, photographers I think and others there to celebrate, forced to duck out of the way as he speeds in! What on earth?! No one was hurt, but it’s not the point: that was dangerous as hell.
Lap 50/51 Today is the anniversary of Roland Ratzenberger’s death, at Imola in 1994, so tomorrow is that of Ayrton Senna; what a dreadful weekend that was.
Lap 49/51 Verstappen sets a fastest lap time, then Alonso trumps it. But he’ll have to accept fourth just as Hamilton will have to handle sixth, Sainz in front of him hanging on easily enough.
Lap 48/51 This has been a surprisingly uneventful race. It’s been clear for quite some time how it was going to end, and Alonso, for all the joy of his big words, is still 2.887s behind Leclerc.
Lap 47/51 Perez has driven an almost-perfect race. Verstappen just can’t get close to him, and his lead at the top will be down to maximum six points, depending on the fastest lap situation.
Lap 46/51 We cut to Norris, he bins Hulkenberg at t7 and forces his way into the points, streaking clear. Well done Lando! Meantime, Leclerc puts in another fastest lap, while Piastri closes on Tsunoda, currently 12th.
Lap 45/51 Russell has enough time over Ocon, 22.341s, so that he could pit and try for a fastest lap, but in the meantime, he’s still eighth.
Lap 44/51 Leclerc puts in the fastest lap of the race, and the Ferrari is seriously improving as a car. I guess it’s fair to wonder where this pace has been until now, but perhaps he figured that he’s never getting Verstappen so may as well nurse himself to third and a podium.
Lap 43/51 Alonso tries to make a charge, but Leclerc puts in the fastest first half of a lap while, at the back, Gasly overtakes Sargeant to go 15th.
Lap 42/51 It’s telling how little time we’ve spent discussing the battle for P1, which tells us that Perez is driving a quietly tremendous race. Now here comes Hamilton again, but he’s a little shy of Sainz so can’t make a telling move
Lap 41/51 Hamilton bousts down the straight, he’s much quicker than Sainz, but as he gets DRS, both straights end before he can pass.
Lap 40/51 Alonso, we’re told, asked his team how many laps were left.:
“14”
“Good number, let’s go and get Leclerc. The gap, though, is 4.386, so.
Lap 39/51 Perez increases his lead to 3.585s, and let’s have a run-down.
1 Perez
2 Verstappen
3 Leclerc
4 Alonso
5 Sainz
6 Hamilton
7 Stroll
8 Russell
9 Ocon
10 Hulkenberg
11 Norris
12 Tsunoda
13 Piastri
14 Albon
15 Magnussen
16 Sargeant
17 Gasly
18 Bottas
Lap 38/51 Great stuff from Sharl Leclerc, who’s increased a lead over Alonso that wasn’t much more than a second to over three. Oh, and Zhou has retired; this hasn’t been his season so far.
Lap 37/51 Hamilton, relegated to 11th by the safety car after coming out of the pits, can read Sainz’s bumper stickers now, but he can’t get quite close enough to challenge.
Lap 36/51 Hamilton and Sainz are duelling for fifth, 0.810s between them, as Crofty notes this is not the most eventful of races – especially for Baku, which tends to inspire action and overtaking.
