The Mexican Sergio Perez won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and gave his Red Bull team their fourth win in the fourth race of the season on Sunday (04/30/2023) in Baku.
Sergio Perez before Max Verstappen, Red Bull before Red Bull: The balance of power in Formula 1 remains carved in stone. The hope that Ferrari could break into the phalanx of the “bulls” with pole setter Charles Leclerc was shattered in the first laps of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when first Verstappen and a little later Perez pushed Leclerc into third place.
In the fourth race of the season, it was the fourth win and the third one-two for Red Bull, the second for Perez. However: From Red Bull’s point of view, the “wrong” winner could be celebrated. Verstappen had no chance of passing Perez, the expected stable order did not materialize. In the world championship standings, only six points separate the leading Verstappen from pursuer Perez.
Ferrari not yet capable of winning over the distance
Leclerc had nothing to do with victory and second place, his deficit in third was huge. “We don’t have the race pace to hold Red Bull“He had already prophesied before the start. That was already the case in the sprint race on Saturday, when Perez won ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen in third place lost a better position after a tough fight with Mercedes driver George Russell on the first lap.
It didn’t get that far on Sunday, especially since the two Mercedes with record world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished sixth and eighth, far away from the Red Bull. While there wasn’t much good to be seen at Mercedes throughout the weekend, according to motorsport boss Toto Wolff, Ferrari is gradually getting going. “For one lap we’re right at the front“said team boss Frederic Vasseur: “The race pace is still missing.”
Nico Hülkenberg (Emmerich) had to start from the pit lane because his team had changed the car’s set-up at short notice. “We had a different set-up in the last two races“Said Hulkenberg on “Sky”: “It didn’t work here, so we took it back.” Team boss Günter Steiner had “a bit of luck towards the end of the race” hoped, but the calculation did not work out with 17th place.
Trouble because of sprint format
The new sprint format provided plenty of material for discussion in Baku. The grid positions for the Grand Prix on Sunday were already determined in qualifying on Friday, then on Saturday a so-called sprint shootout and then the 17-lap sprint race were on the agenda. The usual practice sessions two and three were omitted completely, the teams only had a 60-minute practice session on Friday to set up the cars.
In any case, Max Verstappen is not a friend of the new format. “I’m a racer through and through, but this isn’t racing. This is pure entertainment similar to gambling in the casino“, said the world champion. The race had hardly started when it was already over: “I don’t see where this format is supposed to be attractive. I find it awful.“
Leclerc expressed the hope that the six sprint races of the season would not be joined by more: “This format should not establish itself. A couple of times a year is okay, but please no more often.” Five more sprints will take place during the course of the season.