Sergio Perez achieved a remarkable win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on Sunday, beating his teammate and championship leader, Max Verstappen. Red Bull Racing extended their domination in Formula One, as they scored a double victory. The Mexican driver secured his sixth career win and became the first driver to win the grand prix twice, aided by a safety car period that fell in his favour after Verstappen had pitted.
Perez now sits just six points behind Verstappen, with both drivers having won two races each after four rounds of the championship. The next challenge is in Miami, just a week away. Charles Leclerc, driving for Ferrari, finished a distant third, claiming his team's first podium appearance of the year. Meanwhile, George Russell secured the fastest lap for Mercedes.
Perez won the Saturday sprint as well, and he remarked, "Well done guys, we dominated this weekend." He also acknowledged that it was a tough competition against Verstappen, with both drivers clipping the wall a few times. However, the Mexican driver managed to keep control and finish the race first.
The race was the first sprint weekend of the year, and predictions of chaos and carnage failed to materialize. The afternoon was short of thrills, spills, or many overtakes, and Leclerc remarked that it was the loneliest race ever. At the start of the race, Charles Leclerc made a smooth getaway, taking the lead as the cars approached the first corner. He managed to keep Max Verstappen at bay until the drag reduction system (DRS) was enabled on lap three. Verstappen was then able to overtake Leclerc at the start of the following lap, and he quickly pulled away from the pack. Sergio Perez also had an easy time, taking second place just two laps later.
The race took a dramatic turn on lap 11 when Nyck de Vries collided with the wall, causing damage to his AlphaTauri's front left suspension and leaving the car stranded at turn 16. As a result, the safety car was deployed, but Max Verstappen had already made his pit stop while Sergio Perez decided to stay out on the track. The Mexican driver effectively gained a free stop when he came in with the field slowed.
Christian Horner, Red Bull's team boss, told Verstappen at the finish, "Checo (Perez) got a little lucky with the safety car there, but it’s a long season and very good points today. Great team result." Verstappen replied, "It is what it is. We wouldn’t know the safety car could come out there. Good team result."
The timing of the safety car also played into the hands of Ferrari and Aston Martin, allowing them to benefit from a strategic advantage. As a result, Charles Leclerc was able to regain second place when the race resumed at the start of lap 14. Verstappen passed the Monegasque again with ease, while Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso overtook Ferrari's Carlos Sainz at turn six to go fourth.
The Red Bulls then showed their true pace, turning the race into a two-car contest with Verstappen, in second, already more than 10 seconds clear of Leclerc by the half distance. "They are in another league once it comes to the race," said Leclerc.
Throughout the race, Perez successfully managed to maintain a safe distance from Verstappen, staying out of the latter's DRS range. By lap 30, Perez had established a lead of 2.5 seconds, which he managed to maintain until the end of the race, finishing with a 2.1-second advantage over Verstappen. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz secured fifth place, with Lewis Hamilton finishing sixth for Mercedes and Lance Stroll taking seventh place for Aston Martin.
Russell was eighth ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris, with AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda collecting the final point.
The final lap of the race was marred by worrying scenes as Alpine's Esteban Ocon pitted for his sole stop, sending mechanics and photographers preparing for the finish scattering out of his way.