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Sergio Perez Double Delight With Red Bull 1-2 In Azerbaijan Grand Prix

By Robert Haile

Sergio Perez made it two top steps in two days as he added the Grand Prix win to his Sprint Race success.

Red Bull’s Mexican driver made it two wins in two days as he made the most of a Safety Car to take the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with Max Verstappen completing a 1-2 for the team.

Charles Leclerc might have been on pole position for the last three race around Baku but he is yet to hold onto the top spot as he finished third for Ferrari.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc Takes Azerbaijan Sprint Pole As Sergio Perez Wins Sprint Race

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN – APRIL 30: Race winner Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates on the podium during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on April 30, 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Starting in third Perez had to wait until the fifth lap to pass Leclerc with Verstappen having gone the lap before.

Nyck de Vries’ woeful Grand Prix weekend finished early on lap 11 as he collided with the barrier at turn 5 before stopping near turn 6.

Verstappen jumped pitting for hard tyres and then the Safety Car was deployed, Perez pitted and came out at the front as his teammate dropped to third behind Leclerc.

At the restart Perez got away cleanly and Verstappen passed Leclerc for second as the top three settled into the race.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso pounced on Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to take fourth and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll retook the place he had lost to Mercedes’ George Russell while both were pitting.

The race settled down after the excitement of the qualifying with Stroll almost joining de Vries as he clipped the wall.

Perez led home Verstappen with Leclerc taking third.

Alonso finished fourth and off the podium for the first time this year with Sainz fifth, Mercedes Lewis Hamilton took sixth with Stroll and Russell in seventh and eighth.

McLaren’s good weekend ended with points as Lando Norris came home in ninth with Yuki Tsunoda taking the last point in tenth for AlphaTauri.

Rookie Oscar Piastri held onto eleventh for McLaren with Williams’ Alex Albon, Haas’s Kevin Magnussen, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, Williams’ Logan Sargeant, Hass’ Nico Hulkenberg and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas the last of the finishers.

Zhou Guanyu pulled his Alfa Romeo into the pits late into the race to retire along with de Vries.

The Constructors Championship is even more ominous with Red Bull holding a 49 point lead over Aston Martin and Mercedes who are on the same points.

Formula One kicks up a gear with five races in six weeks starting with Miami and the first US Grand Prix on May 5-7.

Drivers Championship

  1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 93
  2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 87
  3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 60
  4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 48
  5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 34
  6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 28
  7. George Russell (Mercedes) – 28
  8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 27
  9. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 10
  10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) – 6
  11. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 4
  12. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) – 4
  13. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) – 4
  14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 4
  15. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) – 2
  16. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) – 2
  17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) – 1
  18. Alex Albon (Williams) – 1
  19. Logan Sargent (Williams) – 0
  20. Nyck De Vries (AlphaTauri) – 0

Constructors Championship

  1. Red Bull – 180
  2. Aston Martin – 87
  3. Mercedes – 76
  4. Ferrari – 62
  5. McLaren – 14
  6. Alpine – 8
  7. Haas – 7
  8. Alfa Romeo – 6
  9. AlphaTauri – 2
  10. Williams – 1
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