Sergio Perez has cut Max Verstappen’s F1 championship lead after winning the Sprint Race as well as Sunday’s Azerbaijan GP on the streets of Baku. Polesitter Charles Leclerc finished third, scoring his first podium this season.
- Perez wins 2.137secs ahead of Verstappen
- Scores 33 out of a possible 34 points at Baku
- Leclerc completes podium
Safety car helps Perez defeat Verstappen
Leclerc initially held on to the lead at the start, but it was only a matter of time before Verstappen used DRS to breeze past him. Perez followed suit, making it a Red Bull 1-2 out at front.
The defining point of the race came when Nyck de Vries clipped the wall on Lap 11, bringing out the yellow flags. Red Bull decided to pit Verstappen for fresh tyres, only for the Safety Car to be deployed moments later. This ended up benefitting drivers like Perez and Leclerc, who emerged ahead of Verstappen after taking their own pit stops.
Once racing resumed, Verstappen quickly cleared Lecerc to move up to second place, but he couldn’t find a way past his teammate. Perez crossed the chequered flag to take victory, further cementing his reputation as king of the street circuits. He also becomes the only driver to have scored multiple wins at Baku.
Speaking after the race, Perez did bring up his brush with the barriers on Lap 34, admitting that he was lucky his front-right tyre didn’t blow up.
Leclerc fends off pressure from Alonso
Leclerc couldn’t convert the strong pace he showed in qualifying into victory, but the Ferrari driver did enough to make his first podium appearance this year. He had to hold off a late charge from Fernando Alonso and brought an end to the Aston Martin drivers’ 2023 podium streak.
Carlos Sainz was fifth, followed by Lewis Hamilton, Lance Stroll and George Russell. Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10.
2023 F1 championship standings
Verstappen holds on to the championship lead, but Perez’s latest win means he’s just six points behind his teammate. The Mexican scored 33 out of a possible 34 points across the weekend. Alonso is third, 33 points off the lead.
F1 will now makes its way to the USA for the Miami GP on May 5-7.
2023 Azerbaijan GP results
