Mexican racing driver Sergio Perez emerged victorious in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, proving he’s a serious contender for the world championship.
His win followed a successful performance in the F1 Sprint, where he claimed maximum points. By achieving his second victory in Azerbaijan, Perez became the first driver to win the event more than once.
This victory has brought him within six points of his teammate and championship leader, Max Verstappen.
A Tough Weekend for Nyck De Vries
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved to be a difficult weekend for Dutch driver Nyck De Vries. Starting last in the F1 Sprint, De Vries managed to recover to 14th place, but a crash during the race led to the deployment of the Safety Car.
The AlphaTauri driver has yet to score points this season, and this was the first time in four races he failed to finish in 2023.
Leclerc’s First Podium of the Season
Charles Leclerc, despite losing his lead and finishing third, secured his first podium of the season.
Although he had hoped for a better result, Leclerc’s 22-point haul from the weekend more than tripled his total points from the first three races of the year.
Alfa Romeo Struggles in Baku
Alfa Romeo experienced a difficult time in Azerbaijan, with neither the F1 Sprint nor the Grand Prix yielding any points.
Zhou Guanyu retired from the race, marking the team’s first retirement of the season, while Valtteri Bottas’ afternoon ended quickly due to damage sustained during the first lap.
Alonso’s Consistency Continues
Fernando Alonso extended his impressive 2023 streak by finishing fourth in Baku, following three consecutive third-place finishes.
The two-time world champion is currently third in the drivers’ championship, 33 points behind leader Verstappen and 12 clear of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton.
Alpine’s Unfortunate Weekend
Alpine experienced a challenging weekend, with reliability issues on Friday hindering their progress.
Esteban Ocon started from the pit lane and was briefly in the points before a late mandatory pit stop removed him from contention.
Pierre Gasly never threatened the top 10, and the team left Azerbaijan without any points for the second race in a row.
The AlphaTauri driver has yet to score points this season, and this was the first time in four races he failed to finish in 2023.
Hamilton’s Solid Performance
Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, managed a sixth-place finish in Baku, his worst result of the season thus far.
Despite this, Hamilton’s performance demonstrated his ability to maximize the potential of his Mercedes car, currently ranked fourth-best in terms of pure performance.
Verstappen’s Disappointment
Although second place is a respectable result, Max Verstappen had higher expectations. The Safety Car’s deployment cost Verstappen the lead, and he ultimately finished behind his main championship rival and teammate Perez.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Consistency
Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda continued his impressive 2023 performance by finishing in the points for the second straight race, despite driving one of the slowest cars on the grid.
Williams’ Disappointing Weekend
Williams endured a weekend without points, a disappointing outcome for the British team. Alex Albon suffered front wing damage on the opening lap, while Logan Sargeant delivered a strong race but ultimately fell short of scoring points.
Dangerous Pit Lane Incident
The FIA acknowledged a “very dangerous situation” in the Azerbaijan pit lane when Esteban Ocon stopped late in the race.
The governing body has called for “immediate steps” to be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Verstappen and Russell Clash
Tensions flared between Max Verstappen and George Russell following an incident during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The two drivers collided on track, causing Verstappen to lose position and fall behind his championship rival, Sergio Perez.
The incident was the subject of a stewards’ investigation, which ultimately deemed it a racing incident with no further action required.
Russell, however, was not happy with the outcome and openly voiced his discontent over team radio.
The Williams driver believed that Verstappen’s aggressive driving style was to blame for the contact and that the Red Bull driver should have been penalized.
Verstappen responded to Russell’s comments in the post-race press conference, stating that the clash was a racing incident and that the stewards made the correct decision in not penalizing either driver.
He also urged Russell to “focus on his own race” instead of pointing fingers.
The heated exchange between Verstappen and Russell, both young and talented drivers, has drawn attention from fans and media alike.
This latest clash, while not having a significant impact on the championship standings, has added an extra layer of intrigue to an already fascinating 2023 Formula 1 season.
