Sergio Perez wins Baku sprint race for Red Bull
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Red Bull's Sergio Perez was adding the first of six sprint races in 2023 to his win in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BAKU – Red Bull’s Sergio Perez is ready to “give it a go” after winning the first sprint race of the Formula One season
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second after starting in pole position
The top eight drivers in the 17-lap 100km sprint that now stands alone from Sunday’s main race are awarded points. The winner receives eight championship points, reducing by one point per place.
Perez added the first of six sprint races in 2023 to his win at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Verstappen taking the season-opener in Bahrain and winning last time out in Melbourne.
He said: “It was good, with these tricky sessions it’s been a lot of pressure on us, our team, our engineers, mechanics and drivers, so to get away with maximum points today was the main objective but we know that tomorrow is the main race.
“We were able to learn a bit but obviously tomorrow we are going to be on much higher fuel loads and track conditions are going to be different. But I think there is good learning today and I will give it a go and fight for the win.”
The Mexican will line up in third for the main race, behind Verstappen and Leclerc, who will start on pole after qualifying fastest on Friday.
Despite having the advantage for Sunday, Leclerc felt his second-placed sprint finish just showed that Ferrari might not be the favourites.
“It confirms a little bit what we thought. The Red Bulls still have the upper hand in the race,” he said.
“Today there wasn’t anything more, so happy with the second place. We will try to go for the win tomorrow, even though the Red Bull seems a bit quicker.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (left) finished second after starting on pole position with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (right) in third.
PHOTO: AFP
Verstappen, meanwhile, was unhappy after his car made contact with Mercedes’ George Russell as early as the opening lap.
“I just don’t understand why you need to take so much risk in lap 1, understeer into my sidepod, create a hole. We all have cold tyres, it’s easy to lock up,” he said.
“It doesn’t make sense. But it is what it is and we’ll focus on tomorrow.”
Russell finished fourth in the sprint, and completing the top eight behind him are Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.
In the drivers’ championship, Verstappen leads on 75 points from Perez on 62 with Leclerc picking up seven points – one more than he has earned in the three races run so far. REUTERS, AFP
