Red Bull Racing’s dominance over the rest of the Formula One grid was evident once again as Sergio Perez clinched victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, with teammate Max Verstappen finishing second.
The Mexican driver had a spectacular weekend in Baku, also winning Saturday’s sprint race. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position, managed a respectable third place on the podium.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner praised Perez’s “sensational weekend,” adding that the Mexican driver had always been outstanding on the Baku track.
Red Bull has now won four out of the first four races of the 2023 season, along with three poles and three 1-2 finishes.
Verstappen leads the drivers’ championship with a six-point lead over Perez. Perez, who has won five of his six F1 victories on street circuits, including twice in Baku, believes he can challenge Verstappen for the title.
Leclerc admitted that Red Bull was in “another league” during the race, adding that everyone was working hard to understand how to close the gap.
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on a fourth consecutive podium finish, coming in fourth for Aston Martin, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fifth.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished in sixth, while George Russell secured the point for the fastest lap and came ninth for Mercedes. Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top 10 for Alpha Tauri.
The safety car made an appearance during the race to clear Nyck De Vries’s Alpha Tauri, which hit a wall. All the leaders took the opportunity to take a free pit stop during the safety car restart on lap 13.
Verstappen was relaxed at Perez’s win, saying that the team would keep learning as the season progressed.
