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Lewis Hamilton taken aback by ‘huge’ Mercedes deficit on Baku straights.
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes still have a lot of work to do to “rectify” the W14 after alarming time losses down the straights in Azerbaijan GP qualifying.
28 Apr 2023 4:55 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com
“I didn’t really know what to expect this weekened,” Hamilton admitted in Baku, after taking a P2 finish last time out in Australia. “I knew that the Red Bulls would be particularly quick.”
“I didn’t realise we would have such a huge deficit on the straights, but it’s a good indicator, we’re slower on the straights and then slower in the middle sector, so we’ve got a lot of work to do to rectify that in the car, it’s not the easiest one to drive.”
“I’m happy to be on the third row and hopefully tomorrow we can have a bit of a better battle. We’re trying as hard as we can, giving it absolutely everything out there and just timing and getting into rhythm and really pulling out everything is not easy on this track,” he said.
‘Huge Mercedes deficit’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/lewis-...ine-pace-baku/
Hamilton: Not the position we want – we 'exist to win'
28/04/2023 at 17:04
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Lewis Hamilton suggested that he had pretty much extracted the most from his equipment in qualifying on Friday in Baku, the Mercedes driver clocking in P5 but almost a full second off poleman Charles Leclerc.
"We are trying as hard as we can, giving it absolutely everything out there," said Hamilton. "Timing and getting into a rhythm and really pulling out everything is not easy on this track. In Q2, I struggled, I had more pace, I just didn't get that last lap.”
"My Q3 run one was a really sweet lap, just unfortunately... I just matched it basically at the end but needed just a little more time to nip [ahead] of the Ferrari."
Hamilton reckoned that, all things considered, fifth on Sunday's grid wasn't a bad place to start. "We can't make any changes to the car so this is the pace that we have," he added.
‘We exist to win';
https://f1i.com/news/472336-hamilton...st-to-win.html
Lewis Hamilton left with little hope in Azerbaijan as Toto Wolff admits to Mercedes U-turn
07:24, Sat, Apr 29, 2023
By Archie Griggs
Daily and Sunday Express
Mercedes again struggled to keep up with the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari in Friday's qualifying session at the Baku City Circuit.
Toto Wolff has revealed that Mercedes have not introduced any major upgrades for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix despite Lewis Hamilton previously claiming that the Silver Arrows would embark on a 'new path' this weekend. Mercedes will seemingly not be involved in the battle for victory on the streets of Baku on Sunday, with Hamilton only managing to qualify in fifth position and George Russell poised to start from all the way down in 11th place after being knocked out in Q2.
"I think we have it in a good window but generally he car is not stable for the drivers," the Mercedes boss told Sky Sports F1. "We didn't put any upgrade on the car, that comes for Imola, so we have to do what we can with this package."
‘Left with little hope’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rcedes-F1-news
Lewis Hamilton caught spying on Ferrari after being left 'unable to trust' his Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton was unable to challenge the frontrunners as Charles Leclerc clinched a shock pole.
07:25, Sat, Apr 29, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express
Lewis Hamilton has been spotted spying on Ferrari’s car after being told he cannot trust his Mercedes. The seven-time champion was spotted looking at Charles Leclerc’s car moments after the Monegasque secured pole.
Moments later, Sky Sports host Naomi Schiff suggested the Mercedes star was “unable to trust” his Silver Arrows package with the duo looking uncomfortable. She said: “You could see Lewis and George, they were really fighting the car."
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff confirmed the team had new upgrades in the pipeline but would not be introduced until the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. Hamilton praised Mercedes engineers for working on the new parts and predicted the changes could elevate the team up the order sooner rather than later.
‘Spying on Ferrari’s car’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...rand-prix-news
James Allison sets out the one thing he would ‘never’ do with Mercedes W14
28 Apr 2023 5:00 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com
James Allison has ruled out designing a B-spec car at Mercedes with the returning technical director revealing he isn’t considering a “wholesale revamp clean sheet”.
With just one podium from three races and a deficit to Red Bull that has left Lewis Hamilton staggered by the RB19’s straight-line speed, Mercedes have acknowledged they need to something. That something, at least for now, was to bring Allison back into the role of technical director to guide the W14’s development path.
And he’s made it clear he would “never” scrap the current concept and go with something completely different. “I don’t think any of us would ever consider a wholesale revamp clean sheet a good or prosperous approach,” he said in Friday’s press conference in Baku.”
‘James Allison: “never” scrap the current concept’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/james-...-mercedes-w14/
Allison: Mercedes will see W14 as "weak car" until it's the quickest
14:04 Wed, 26 Apr 2023.
By: Adam Cooper
Motorsport.com
"It's reliable, that's a definite strength," he said when asked about the characteristics of the W14. "It’s quite early in the season to be diagnosing what your car is great at or what it isn't great at because the car's not a fixed thing," he said.
"It's a platform that develops all the way through the year. If I had to pluck something out of the air now, I'd say that we tend to be a little stronger at the front-limited circuits, rather than the ones that are heavily rear-limited.”
"So a Bahrain-type track is all about how well a car will look after its rear tyres. Melbourne was a bit more on the front-limited end of the spectrum. Other front-limited tracks, Barcelona's one, Silverstone another.”
‘W14 as "weak car" until it's the quickest’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...kest/10460720/
James Allison unsure of Mercedes W14 potential
Mercedes have had plenty of problems with their F1 car since 2022
April 28, 2023
By Ed Spencer
Total Motorsport
Mercedes technical director James Allison is still unsure about the potential of Mercedes’ troubled 2023 F1 car. Following a difficult start to the 2023 season where Mercedes lost further ground to rivals Red Bull, Allison swapped jobs with his successor Mike Elliott during Formula 1’s three-week spring break.
“If you go off Melbourne, we were the second quickest car, but if you look at Bahrain, we were fourth quickest,” Allison told the press ahead of the 2023 Azerbaijan GP. “I think we’re on an improving trend, but the tracks are quite different in the opening phase of the year, and it’s a little too early to tell.”
“What I do know is that they’re all manner of opportunities to improve the car, and we intend to do that.”
‘Unsure’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...w14-potential/
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Clean sweep of poles for Leclerc in Baku.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc will start on pole for both today’s Sprint as well as the Grand Prix tomorrow after securing pole for the Shootout.
29th April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
SQ3
Perez once again headed the pack as they made their way out and put in a very quick 1:41.876 as his opening effort. Verstappen couldn’t challenge his teammate, not happy with his rear grip though the middle of the lap, but Leclerc continued his strong run this weekend and set a 1:41.697 to take provisional pole.
The drivers then proceeded to do a very slow lap to cool their tyres down, and the Ferraris were set to be the final drivers across the line. The last efforts started and Leclerc went into the wall at T5, the Yellow Flags came out but it was only Sainz behind that was compromised.
In the end there was no change at the top so Leclerc will start on pole for both races this weekend. Perez will join him on the front row this afternoon while Verstappen will share row two with George Russell. Sainz and Hamilton will be in P5 and P6 ahead of Alex Albon and Alonso on row 4. The final top ten spots for the Shootout will be filled by Stroll and Norris.
‘Clean sweep of poles’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/clean-swee...-in-baku-81997
Sprint Shootout – 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
29th April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
SQ3
1. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari -1:41.697
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +0.147
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.290
4. George Russell Mercedes +0.555
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +0.590
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.805
7. Alex Albon Williams Racing +1.149
8. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.313
9. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.367
10. Lando Norris McLaren NC
‘Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from the Shootout to set the grid for today’s Sprint, the first of the 2023 F1 World Championship’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/sprint-sho...and-prix-81998
2023 Azerbaijan GP Sprint Shootout: Logan Sargeant crash brings out the red flags
29 Apr 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)
With just seconds left on the clock in the first part of the Sprint Shootout, Logan Sargeant hit the wall at Turn 15, damaging his Williams and bringing out the red flags in Baku.
‘Red flags’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...671952805.html
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc takes pole for Saturday's Sprint race ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez second ahead of Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen - but Lewis Hamilton is only sixth in Baku
Published: 10:27, 29 April 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy For Mailonine
Mail Online
Charles Leclerc took pole position for the sprint race in Azerbaijan, which starts at 2.30pm BST. Despite a late accident, the Ferrari man repeated what he had done in the main qualifying session on Friday afternoon by setting the fastest time on a track that is a personal favourite. He has taken pole here on three previous occasions.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, 0.147sec back, was second quickest with team-mate Max Verstappen third. George Russell was fourth best, Carlos Sainz fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth.
‘Charles Leclerc takes pole’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...rand-Prix.html
2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint race starting grid
2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Posted on 29th April 2023, 10:22
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans
‘Charles Leclerc has taken provisional pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Ferrari sprint race ahead of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen’;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/29/...starting-grid/
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Perez wins the first Sprint of the year.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Sergio Perez took victory for Red Bull at the first Sprint of the year after passing Charles Leclerc on track.
29th April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
The first Sprint of the 2023 season only saw eighteen of the twenty drivers line up on the grid as Logan Sargeant was withdrawn from the event after Williams were unable to repair his car in time after a crash in the Sprint Shootout this morning. Alpine had taken Esteban Ocon’s car out of parc ferme conditions to change the suspension setup and as such the French driver will now forfeit his P13 today and P12 for the Grand Prix and instead start from the pitlane in both.
By lap 15 there were none of the top ten drivers had DRS available as the field had spread out slightly. Perez had pulled over three seconds of breathing space between himself and Leclerc while Verstappen was over a second behind the Ferrari, the two lapping over a second slower than the leader.
Perez took the chequered flag nearly four and a half seconds ahead of Leclerc though Verstappen had managed to close back up to the Monegasque he wasn’t able to challenge and had to settle for P3. Russell came home in P4 ahead of Carlos Sainz while Fernando Alonso was P6. Lewis Hamilton finished in P7 while the final point went to Lance Stroll in P8.
‘Perez wins’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/perez-wins...the-year-82015
Sprint Results – 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
29th April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing – 17 laps
2. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +4.463
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +5.065
4. George Russell Mercedes +8.532
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +10.388
6. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +11.613
7. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +16.503
8. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +18.417
9. Alex Albon Williams Racing +21.757
10. Oscar Piastri McLaren +22.851
‘Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from today’s Sprint, the first of six scheduled for the 2023 F1 World Championship’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/sprint-res...and-prix-82016
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the F1 Sprint in Azerbaijan
29 April 2023
Becky Hart
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘As it happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...YFyL9xEQy.html
F1 Azerbaijan GP LIVE: Perez overtakes Leclerc in Baku Sprint
29th April 2023, 15:06
Crash.Net
Perez has done it!
He wins the sprint race and takes eight points after overtaking Ferrari's Leclerc, who holds onto second place ahead of Verstappen.
Fourth place goes to Russell, with Sainz fifth ahead of Alonso, Hamilton and Stroll, who claims the final point on offer in eighth.
‘Perez has done it!’;
https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1.../Azerbaijan+GP
2023 Azerbaijan GP Sprint: Russell jumps Verstappen for P3 as Leclerc keeps the lead at the start in Baku
29 Apr 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc kept his lead at the start of the Sprint, but behind him George Russell muscled his way past Max Verstappen for P3.
‘Russell jumps Verstappen for P3’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...101187056.html
F1 results: Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan GP sprint
29th April 2023, 15:28
By: Charles Bradley
Motorsport.com
In the first sprint of the season, which included a new qualifying format (see below), Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc led from pole ahead of Perez, as Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes) clashed over third. After a safety car interruption, Verstappen retook third from Russell.
Perez DRS-ed past Leclerc on lap 8 and pulled clear to take victory, while Leclerc clung to second ahead of Verstappen, whose car’s floor and sidepod were damaged during his clash with Russell.
‘Sergio Perez wins’;
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...lerc/10462468/
Max Verstappen calls George Russell a 'd***head' in feisty exchange at Azerbaijan GP
Max Verstappen was left furious after failing to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint race.
15:25, Sat, Apr 29, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express
Max Verstappen branded George Russell a “d***head” as the pair clashed in the pitlane after the Azerbaijan sprint race. Verstappen approached Russell for words in the pits after contact between the duo on lap one.
Russell apologised for the incident and appeared to blame the shunt on a lack of grip at the start. But, Verstappen said: “Mate we all have no grip. You need to leave a bit of space. I expect next time the same, you know. D***head.”
The Mercedes star kept his nose on the inside of turn two and tapped Verstappen’s right hand side. The Dutchman pushed Red Bull to demand an investigation as he urged officials to penalise the ex-Williams star.
‘Feisty exchange’;
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...jan-grand-prix
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'They've done a tremendous job' – Perez praises Red Bull's performance after victory in Baku Sprint.
“I’m really proud of my guys, because if you look back, we come from a four week break and straight into this new type of format. I think we’ve done a great job, but tomorrow is what matters and we need to focus on that.” Sergio Perez.
29 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Sergio Perez overcame rival Charles Leclerc to win the Sprint in Baku on Saturday and, while the Mexican was full of praise for the “tremendous” work done by his Red Bull team, he had his eyes set firmly on winning Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Perez lost out to Leclerc in the Sprint shootout pole earlier on Saturday, but made up for it in the 100KM dash as, starting second, he kept the pressure on the Monegasque racer, before making the move for the lead down the inside at Turn 1 on Lap 8.
Reflecting on his Sprint victory, Perez said: “Really happy, pleased for the whole team. They’ve done a tremendous job. It’s not easy this format, it puts a lot of pressure on drivers, mechanics and engineers. So, to be able to come away with the maximum points, it’s a good start.”
‘Tremendous job';
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...f8m1BKWyk.html
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action as Sergio Perez wins a dramatic Sprint on the streets of Baku
29 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
The Azerbaijan Sprint was a bite-size piece of drama in which all 20 drivers dashed to the line over 17 frantic laps at Baku. And it was Sergio Perez who emerged on top.
Charles Leclerc took Sprint pole in Saturday's shootout having aced Friday's qualifying for the Grand Prix pole, and the Monegasque led Sergio Perez away from the start of the Sprint.
There was much more to come as Perez made a sublime move on Leclerc and took eight points to narrow the championship battle.
‘HIGHLIGHTS’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...5ab6CgTRK.html
Sergio Perez: Tomorrow is what matters | 'Anything can happen in Baku!'
16:16 Sat, 29 Apr 2023.
Sky Sports
Despite winning the Sprint, Sergio Perez turns his attention to the Grand Prix with an eye on getting his second win of the season in Baku.
‘Tomorrow is what matters’;
https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...happen-in-baku
Perez makes 'fighting' vow for Azerbaijan double
Saturday 29 April 2023 17:06
Sam Hall
GPFans
"P3 is not ideal for tomorrow's race but I will give it a go and fight for the win." Victory in the Sprint saw Perez close the gap at the top of the drivers' standings by two, to 13 points.
Perez added: "With these sessions, it has been a lot of pressure put on us and our team's engineers, mechanics and drivers, so to get away with maximum points today was the main objective. But obviously, we know that tomorrow is the main race."
'Fighting vow’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ed-bull-fight/
FACTS AND STATS: Perez sets an unexpected record with Baku Sprint victory as Leclerc cashes in the points
29 April 2023
Sean Kelly
Virtual Statman
Formula One - Official Site
Sergio Perez won an action-packed Sprint at Baku – which has become something of a purple place for the Mexican – while Charles Leclerc's P2 delivered a relatively big points haul. Here are the facts and stats from the 100km dash to the line on Saturday.
Red Bull's Sergio Perez became the first driver to cross the line in P1 twice in Baku as the Mexican won the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and there has been no repeat winner of the Grand Prix here.
Perez has only had one third-place finish in six previous Sprints, at Imola in 2022.
With P2, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc took seven points on Saturday – more than he scored over the previous three rounds of 2023. That moves him up to P8 in the championship.
Max Verstappen leads the championship by 13 points over Sprint winner Perez.
‘FACTS AND STATS’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...67VC0zKBP.html
Perez admits “horrible” Australian GP qualifying “really knocked my confidence”
2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Posted on 29th April 2023, 7:17
Written by Keith Collantine and Claire Cottingham
Sergio Perez says he is rebuilding his confidence after his disastrous Saturday at the Australian Grand Prix four weeks ago. The Red Bull driver was eliminated in the first round of qualifying at Melbourne after skidding off at turn three. He encountered persistent trouble braking at several points around the circuit during the preceding practice session.
He enjoyed a smoother qualifying in session in Baku, taking third on the grid, having been just a tenth of a second slower than team mate Max Verstappen. “It’s much better being P3 than not even making it through Q1,” he reflected afterwards. “I think I’m getting back my confidence,” said Perez. “It really knocked my confidence quite a bit, if I’m honest, what happened in Melbourne. Especially with a three-week break and then you go straight into qualifying, pretty much. It’s all about braking here, having that confidence on the braking and I think I’m getting there.”
“You have to reset yourself and move on from that. I think there were many specific issues that we had, all that day. It was a horrible day that Saturday, FP3 and quali, really bad. But I think we understood a lot of the problems that we had. It was not just a single problem that would be really easy just to get rid of. It was a combination of a few things that caused us to have these problems.”
“Really knocked my confidence”;
https://www.racefans.net/2023/04/29/...my-confidence/
Sergio Perez worried about nightmare performance ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez struggled for success in Australia, only securing P5, after his RB19 struggled with reliability issues.
28 April 2023
by Edward Hardy
Formula1News
Sergio Perez has revealed that the “horrible” outing in Australia remains fresh in his mind after the Mexican failed to get on the podium for a third race in a row.
Perez didn’t even manage to set a qualifying time before he spun out of the race and into the gravel trap on the circuit. “So hopefully, we don’t get to see that again. You don’t want to see that, especially here in Baku.”
Despite his fears, Perez did manage to have a risk free qualifying, finishing in P3, close behind his teammate and pole sitter Charles Leclerc.
‘Nightmare performance’;
https://formula1news.co.uk/sergio-pe...an-grand-prix/
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Wolff – I can understand Verstappen anger.
The confrontation behind the wheel sparked another out of the car in parc fermé, with Verstappen calling Russell “a d***head” and using the f-word on a number of occasions.
Sunday 30th April, 2023 - 7:58am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff naturally defended driver George Russell following his on-track spat with Max Verstappen – but was equally understanding of the F1 champion’s post-sprint anger.
“In the end, they collided, he had a big hole in the car, and that’s certainly sub-optimal for your race. It’s absolutely understandable that he’s upset but on the other side, George defended the position. That’s also clear that they’re going to do that. So it’s not the first time, I guess, they had this situation with each other.”
‘They had this situation’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/04/30...-azerbaijangp/
Wolff: Verstappen upset at Russell incident understandable
Verstappen and Russell tussled during the opening lap of the Azerbaijan GP Sprint Shootout.
April 29, 2023
By Matt Neill
Speedcafe
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff believes that Max Verstappen‘s frustration with George Russell after the two drivers came together during the Azerbaijan GP Sprint Shootout is “understandable”.
Verstappen made his annoyance with Russell clear as the drivers clashed following the end of the session, with the Dutchman upset about a move the Mercedes made on the first lap of the race, which ended with the pair colliding and the Red Bull sustaining damage.
“First of all, friendly exchanges between drivers is a good entertainment factor. So irrelevant. And yeah, that’s a race situation. You’re trying the outside. That’s never going to be an easy position,” Wolff said. “They collided here to be cold in the car, and that certainly suboptimal for your race. It’s absolutely understandable that he’s upset on the other side.”
“Understandable”;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/wol...nderstandable/
Verstappen MOCKS Russell response after sprint race confrontation
Saturday 29 April 2023 17:27
Harry Smith
GPFans
Max Verstappen admitted there was no resolution to his frustrations with George Russell after the pair made contact on the opening lap of the Azerbaijan sprint race. The Dutch driver sustained floor damage and sidepod damage from the incident but still managed to convert his P3 grid slot to a P3 finish.
After the race, Verstappen confronted Russell about the incident, but neither driver was willing to back down from their viewpoint, with the Dutchman appearing to call the Mercedes man a 'd**khead' as he walked away. Verstappen reiterated this after the Grand Prix in his post-race interview.
Speaking with Sky Sports' Naomi Schiff after the race, Verstappen said: "No, it's not clarified, but I just don't understand why you need to take so much risk. You know, lap one, he's understeered into my sidepod, created a hole. We all have cold tires, you know. It's all easy to lock up but you know. And his beautiful way of explaining - 'Oh mate, you know, locked up. Look at the onboard.' It doesn't make sense. But it's fine, we still got into P3, got some good points, but yeah it is what it is."
‘Verstappen MOCKS Russell response’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...p-sprint-race/
Mad Max explodes at ‘d***head’ Merc rival after F1 sprint race chaos
April 30th, 2023 7:54 am
AFP from Afp
FoxSports(Australia).
Sergio Perez won Saturday’s sprint race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to maintain Red Bull’s perfect start to the season, but teammate Max Verstappen was in no mood to celebrate. Red Bull’s double world champion was seething over a first lap incident when he was muscled out of third place by the Mercedes of George Russell.
Perez won from pole-sitter Charles Leclerc of Ferrari with Verstappen, whose car picked up some damage, eventually getting his third place back off Russell. The British driver apologised to Verstappen, saying his car had no grip but the Dutch driver snapped back: “Mate, we all have no grip, we all need to leave space! I’d expect next time the same you know!” he added, before calling Russell a “d*******”.
‘D***head’
https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...3fd985a1e32df3
Horner hits out at 'OVER THE TOP' moment in Sprint race
Saturday 29 April 2023 22:27
Jamie Lauder
GPFans
Max Verstappen pipped George Russell to 3rd place in Saturday’s Sprint Race, but it wasn’t plain-sailing for the Dutchman. Russell’s lap one overtake didn’t come without controversy, and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has some words for the English driver after the race, with his perspective on the battle.
“For me, turn one I can live with, turn two was hard-racing between two hard racers, [turn three] felt a bit over the top.”, Horner commented The Red Bull certainly didn’t come away unscathed after the encounter with Russell, with a large hole in the left-hand sidepod.
“When you see a hole like that in the side, it’s got to be three quarters of a second, a lap, at least. Then there’s other complications. The temperature starts going out of control, because the air’s not running through the sidepods as it’s designed to. eorge just runs him too far into the wall (and) unfortunately the result of it was that we ended up with quite a lot of body damage...and that cost him quite a bit of performance.”
'OVER THE TOP moment’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...sh-azerbaijan/
Max Verstappen calls George Russell 'princess' in new attack after Azerbaijan altercation
Tension is brewing between Max Verstappen and George Russell following a clash between the drivers in Baku on Saturday.
00:00, Sun, Apr 30, 2023
By Ryan Taylor
Daily and Sunday Express
Max Verstappen has taken a swipe at George Russell - labelling the Mercedes star 'Princess George' - as tensions between the pair threaten to reach boiling point. The bad blood was ignited on Saturday in Baku when the duo touched during the opening lap of Azerbaijan GP Sprint causing damage to Verstappen's car.
The incident left the Dutchman furious before the pair came to blows during a fiery verbal exchange in the parc ferme. The incident left the Dutchman furious before the pair came to blows during a fiery verbal exchange in the parc ferme.
Russell defended his part in the collision and stated his cold tyres were partially to blame. Verstappen wasn't interested however and he took offence to the comments before calling the Brit a "d*******". Both drivers relayed their version of events and Verstappen was keen to justify his fury by continually questioning Russell's decision-making.
'Princess George';
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...an-altercation
Scrap the Sprint urges Verstappen
29/04/2023
NEWS STORY
Pitpass
Following a particularly frustrating afternoon, Max Verstappen has called on F1 bosses to drop the Sprint format. A self-confessed "purist" the two-time world champion has made no secret of his dislike of the Sprint, recently admitting that should they continue he would have to reconsider his future in the sport.
At the end of today's Sprint, following a first lap clash with George Russell which holed his car, dented his pride and subsequently caused him to resort to name calling, the Dutchman repeated his dislike of the format. "Just scrap the whole thing," he said. "I think it's important to go back to what we have, and make sure that every team can fight for a win, that's what we have to try and aim for and [not] try to implement all this kind of artificial excitement.”
"I would say I got bored through today's qualifying to be honest," he admitted. "I like to have one particular qualifying, where you just put everything in it, and that was yesterday, which I of course enjoy, and then they have to do it again today. I'm like, 'my God, another qualifying?' I just don't really enjoy that. It's hectic," he added. "I think it's just... it's not proper racing, it's more like gambling. I think I will have more success in Vegas if I go to the casino.”
‘Artificial excitement’;
https://www.pitpass.com/74985/Scrap-...ges-Verstappen
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Sergio Perez powers to win in duel against his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen at Azerbaijan GP, with Charles Leclerc in third and Lewis Hamilton back in sixth place.
• The Red Bull driver has ignited the championship race with Max Verstappen.
• Sergio Perez wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to clinch a comfortable victory.
• Verstappen initially led but lost his position to a pit stop under a safety car.
Published: 13:49, 30 April 2023
By Jonathan McEvoy For Mailonine
Mail Online
Sergio Perez made a contest of the world championship fight by beating Max Verstappen to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Mexican was advantaged by an early safety car phase but was already showing good pace and then controlled the race to make it two wins each for the Red Bull pair. There are just six points separating Verstappen at the top from his team-mate.
It was a brilliant weekend for Perez, who also took the honours in the sprint race on Saturday. Verstappen was runner-up both times. Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari and Fernando Alonso fourth for Aston Martin. Lewis Hamilton, in good form on the day, was sixth for Mercedes, a place off Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
‘Ignited the championship race’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...in-season.html
Race Results – 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
30th April 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy
Results (Classification):
1. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing – 51 laps
2. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +2.137
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +21.293
4. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +22.024
5. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari +45.491
6. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +46.145
7. Lance Stroll Aston Martin +51.617
8. George Russell Mercedes +74.240
9. Lando Norris McLaren +80.376
10. Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri +83.862
‘Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Here are the provisional race results from today’s fourth round of the 2023 F1 World Championship in Baku’;
https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-82024
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
30 April 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site
‘As It Happened’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...qfWqU5foA.html
Perez beats Verstappen to win F1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Apr 30 2023
By Ben Anderson
The Race
Sergio Perez benefitted from a well-timed safety car intervention to beat Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen to victory in Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Although both Red Bull drivers were beaten to pole position by Baku City Circuit specialist Charles Leclerc on Friday, the Ferrari and its improved set-up proved no match for Red Bull’s vastly superior race pace on Sunday.
Verstappen and Perez both overtook Leclerc comfortably using DRS in the early laps, turning this race into a straight fight between the Red Bull team-mates. F1 championship leader Verstappen held an advantage of less than 1.5 seconds over Perez for the first 10 laps, before the race turned on a safety car intervention.
Nyck de Vries clipped the inside wall at the Turn 5 left-hander and broke his AlphaTauri’s front-left suspension. Verstappen was struggling for rear grip from his medium Pirelli tyres, so Red Bull called him into the pits just before the safety car was deployed to allow the stricken AlphaTauri to be recovered.
‘Perez beats Verstappen’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/perez...an-grand-prix/
Perez pulls off Baku double to win Azerbaijan GP from Verstappen
The Mexican won his second Azerbaijan Grand Prix to reduce his arrears in the championship
April 30, 2023
By Andrew Wright
Total Motorsport.
Sergio Perez once again displayed his street circuit prowess to lead a dominant Red Bull one-two at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and close the gap on Max Verstappen to six points in the drivers’ championship. The Mexican started third but benefitted from the timing of an early safety car to leapfrog his teammate before keeping the world champion at bay for his sixth GP victory and a Baku double, having won the Saturday Sprint.
“It really worked out today for us,” Perez said. “I think we had better deg on the first stint then the safety car came and bunched everyone up and it was a long race on the hard tyres. “I think it was very close between us. We both hit the wall a few times and the way Max pushed me was really hard but we kept it under control.
“I had a wee bit of luck my front-right tyre didn’t blow up but we survived.” Verstappen can count himself unlucky having passed Charles Leclerc for the lead on Lap 4 before being caught out by the retirement of Nyck de Vries.
‘Perez pulls off Baku double’;
https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ll-verstappen/
Perez too quick for Verstappen to handle in Baku
30/04/2023 at 13:44
Andrew Lewin
F1i.com
Sergio Perez claimed his second win of 2023, beating his Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen to victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku to close up the gap between them in the championship standings to just six points.
Perez' perseverance at the front was rewarded by finally breaking out of DRS range of Verstappen, who was having a scrappy mid-stint and complaining about his car's handling: "The balance between diff and engine braking is not good!" he reported. With the Red Bulls looking unlikely to make a second stop at this point, feverish discussions at Ferrari saw Sainz and the engineers comparing the merits of Plan A against Plan C, with Plan B - what ever that was - seemingly no longer an option. Behind him on track, Hamilton was starting to fall away from the Ferrari and complaining about his tyres graining.
Verstappen tickled the barrier on lap 33, and Perez also harmlessly clipped the wall at turn 15 a lap later, evidence that both men were still pushing hard, going flat out and not taking anything for granted. There was no doubt about the winner, with Perez holding on to a two second lead over Verstappen at the chequered flag to reduce the Dutch driver's lead in the championship to six points.
‘Perez too quick to handle’;
https://f1i.com/news/472666-perez-to...e-in-baku.html
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Baku stewards summon FIA personnel for pit-lane near miss with Ocon.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix stewards have summoned to Race Control FIA personnel responsible for Parc Fermé for allowing a group of people to gather in the fast lane of the pit lane on the final lap of the race.
30/04/2023 at 14:33
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
Ocon and his team had opted to run a race-long stint on the hard tyre, betting on a late Safety Car that would have delivered a free stop to the Frenchman. Unfortunately, no neutralization was forthcoming which forced Ocon to pit on the final lap of the race for his mandatory second set of tyres.
However, the Alpine charger entered the pit road only to stumble upon a group of people, including the FIA's official photographers, gathered on the fast lane. It was a close call as far as Ocon was concerned. "Yeah, not something that we want to see," he said after the race.
The FIA stewards subsequently summoned "representatives of the FIA responsible for the parc fermé area at pit entry" to meet them at 5:30pm local time over "personnel blocking the fast lane in the pit lane on the final lap of the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix while the pit lane remained open." Speaking to Sky Sports at the end of the race, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner had witnessed the incident and said that it required "a review".
‘Baku stewards summon FIA personnel’;
https://f1i.com/news/472713-baku-ste...with-ocon.html
Horner takes aim at FIA over frightening pit incident
30 April 4:30PM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
Esteban Ocon was presented with a wall of people when completing his last-lap pit stop at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has urged the FIA to "police" its protocols better after a frightening incident at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Addressing the incident when speaking to Sky Sports F1, Horner explained: "That is something that needs a review because Esteban is within his rights to pit on the last lap and finish the race in the pit lane if he wanted to. That is something the FIA needs to police a bit better before the end of the race."
‘Frightening pit incident’;
https://racingnews365.com/horner-tak...g-pit-incident
Baku stewards investigating FIA staff for Ocon pitlane near-miss
30th April 2023, 15:11
Josh Suttill
The Race
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix stewards are investigating FIA personnel for blocking the pitlane after Esteban Ocon had to take avoiding action to narrowly miss a gaggle of personnel at the start of the pitlane. They were just about able to disperse as Ocon entered the pitlane and made his pitstop.
The Azerbaijan GP stewards released a statement that they’re investigating FIA staff for “blocking the fast lane in the pitlane on the final lap” of the race while the pitlane remained open. Ocon was baffled by the incident when he spoke to the media after the race. “I mean I don’t understand why we are starting to prep the podium and prep the ceremony while we are still racing.”
“There’s one lap to go, there’s still people that didn’t pit, I guess Nico [Hulkenberg, who was on the same strategy as Ocon] didn’t pit at the time. I’m arriving at 300kph, braking very late and I see the people around, this is crazy, it could have been a big, big one today. It’s definitely something that needs to be discussed. It’s something we don’t want to see.”
“I’m arriving at 300kph”;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/baku-...ane-near-miss/
F1 had ‘lucky escape’ as FIA confirm investigation into Esteban Ocon pitlane incident
30 Apr 2023 3:12 PM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com
Sky F1’s Ted Kravitz has branded Esteban Ocon’s last-lap pitlane incident as a ‘lucky escape’ for F1, as the FIA begin their investigation. Sky F1’s pitlane reporter Ted Kravitz, well used to the procedures that apply to personnel in the pits and where they are permitted to be, explained the situation after the chequered flag.
He detailed how the FIA allow personnel to get into position in time for the celebrations but a simple monitoring of the race would have made it obvious that a car still had to make their scheduled pitstop. “It could have been a very, very different scene, indeed,” Kravitz said. “Just to explain what normally happens, we normally get to the end of the race and we normally get to the point that everybody knows that everyone’s made their pit stops and that there probably aren’t going to be any more pit stops. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be.”
“The parc ferme barriers come out and the official photographers, the FIA photographers, and people are released by the FIA and the local marshals – either through an access gate on the other side [of the pitlane] so people can get into position and get ready. So clearly, it’s not fishing for a penalty or a fine or anything like that. But the lesson does need to be learned as to when they can let people in for pure safety’s sake, as we’ve been saying throughout the programme. F1 had a bit of a lucky escape today.”
‘Lucky escape’;
https://www.planetf1.com/news/f1-luc...ocon-incident/
FIA labelled “fortunate” by stewards after “very dangerous” pit lane incident
30 Apr 2023
Connor McDonagh
Crash.Net
The F1 stewards at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix have labelled the FIA as “fortunate” after a “very dangerous” incident took place in the pit lane on the final lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “We stressed that the requirements of ensuring a safe and orderly event are paramount. This was acknowledged by the FIA team.”
“We walked through the relevant procedures and protocol with the FIA representatives in detail and required them to take immediate steps to reconsider these procedures and protocols with the relevant stakeholders [including FOM, the teams and the FIA] to ensure that this situation does not occur again.”
“The FIA representatives expressed their regret at what happened and assured us that they would do so in time for the next event.”
“Fortunate”;
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102529...-lane-incident
FIA criticised by own stewards for ‘very dangerous’ Baku F1 error
30th April 2023, 16:22
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix stewards have called the FIA “lucky” that a dangerous pitlane incident at the end of the Baku Formula 1 race had no serious consequences. The Baku stewards said this created a “very dangerous situation” for those in the pitlane and considered it “fortunate that there were no serious consequences” as a result.
They said the FIA team in question acknowledged the “paramount” need to ensure a safe and orderly event, and “expressed their regret at what happened”. The stewards tasked the representatives to take immediate steps to reconsider the relevant procedures and protocol along with F1 and the teams “to ensure that this situation does not occur again”.
The FIA says it has received the stewards’ decision and will update the relevant procedures ahead of the next race in Miami next weekend.
‘Very Dangerous’;
https://the-race.com/formula-1/fia-c...baku-f1-error/
FIA "regrets" Azerbaijan GP pit lane shambles as F1 car almost mows down photographers
Esteban Ocon pitted on the last lap of the race in Baku and narrowly avoided hitting a group of photographers who had to dive out of the way after they were let into the pit lane early
16:16, 30 Apr 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror
The Formula 1 stewards admitted "it was fortunate that there were no serious consequences" from the incident which saw Esteban Ocon almost hit several people in the pit lane at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Photographers and a few other people had been allowed into parc ferme by FIA officials to prepare for the podium ceremony in Baku. But the race was still going on and Ocon was yet to pit, as his Alpine team had taken a strategy gamble.
But the stewards have acknowledged that it could have been a disaster. After summoning the FIA representatives to their offices, a statement was released in which it published its determination about what had happened.
‘Could have been a disaster’;
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...p-pit-29852843
FIA to take 'immediate steps' to prevent repeat of Baku pit-lane hazard
30/04/2023 at 16:28
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com
The FIA says it will take "immediate steps" to ensure that the dangerous pit-lane incident and near miss with Esteban Ocon that occurred at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix does not happen again.
'Immediate steps';
https://f1i.com/news/472746-fia-to-t...ne-hazard.html
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OPINION: FIA must wake up after Baku calamity.
The scary scenes involving members of F1's travelling media entourage and Esteban Ocon at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the latest in a string of near-misses involving FIA decision-making.
01 May 7:00AM
Author Ewan Gale
RacingNews365
F1's governing body must now assess where its priorities lie after the latest in a string of frightening scenarios. Ocon was entering the pits at the start of his final lap but was met with a crowd of people at pit entry, with parc fermé being set up to welcome race winner Sergio Perez who was a considerable distance ahead. Luckily the crowd scattered as they rushed to avoid the oncoming Alpine, all escaping what could have been a serious incident.
This is not the first incident in recent times that has caught the attention of drivers, team personnel and fans alike. It is time for the FIA to leave its worries over trivial matters behind and focus on regaining a sense of control over its functions.
One FIA member was beginning to put a barricade across the pit lane entry as Ocon approached in what would have been a dreadful turn of events. It was clear that parc fermé was situated too near the fast lane on which the Frenchman was arriving. A similar incident occurred in Australia last year where VIPs were allowed into the pit lane when Alex Albon pitted on the final lap, so the warning signs were there.
Another lapse in judgement, this time from a higher power in the FIA, saw a recovery vehicle allowed on track in treacherous conditions at the Japanese Grand Prix last year, evoking painful memories of the tragic incident that claimed Jules Bianchi's life at the same circuit eight years prior.
‘Lapses in judgement’;
https://racingnews365.com/fia-must-w...-baku-calamity
Alpine: FIA fix after Ocon scare 'not rocket science'
30 April 9:00PM
Author Ewan Gale
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Alpine Sporting Director Alan Permane believes any fix from the FIA to avoid the frightening scenes at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will not be "rocket science". Speaking to media including RacingNews365.com, Permane explained: "It is something we have seen before. There is a keenness... I don't know why but photographers are allowed - I understand people want to get the shots of cars coming into parc fermé - but the race track is still live.
Insisting Ocon would have been in full control of the situation, Permane said: "Rob, our Chief Mechanic, came on the intercom to say there was people in the pit lane and Esteban, at that point, is going 80kph, don't forget so he could stop the car pretty quickly if he needed to.
"So whilst it was quite scary to look at, I suspect he was in full control and no one was in serious danger. It was a bit like a scene from the Group B rallying days with the crowd parting as he got there."
'Not rocket science';
https://racingnews365.com/alpine-fia...rocket-science
FIA to investigate 'shambolic' pitlane incident
April 30, 2023 — 10.12pm
The Sydney Morning Herald
Photographers and personnel getting ready for the post-race podium were forced to jump out of the way as Esteban Ocon made a last-lap pitstop.
'Shambolic';
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsp...01-p5d4gx.html
FIA verdict REVEALED following Ocon pit-lane CHAOS in Baku
Sunday 30 April 2023 19:10
Harry Smith
GPFans
The FIA has expressed regret after breaking the International Sporting Code at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Representatives of the FIA were summoned to the stewards after photographers and officials flooded the pit entry before Esteban Ocon made his final-lap pit stop.
The resulting chaos was shocking for everyone watching as Ocon's Alpine car narrowly missed those standing in the pit lane, prompting some disgusted exclamations from David Croft and Ted Kravitz. Flirting with pitlane disaster. An official FIA document was released after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, laying the blame for the incident on the FIA.
The stewards confirmed that the pit-lane chaos was the direct result of the FIA's actions, ruling that they "took steps to set up the parc ferme area and also permitted media and other personnel to gather in the start of the pitlane and the pit wall during the last lap of the race, while the pit lane was open". This claim was later accepted by the FIA who reportedly "expressed their regret at what happened and assured us that they would do so in time for the next event".
‘FIA verdict REVEALED’;
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...rand-prix-fia/
FIA to review procedures after pitlane 'shambles' in Baku
18:16, Sun, 30 Apr 2023.
The Straits Times
HIGH RESOLUTION CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPH: Sky Sports television commentators called the scenes, with a throng of people already in the pitlane as the car arrived, “an absolute shambles”. PHOTO: TWITTER/ESPN
BAKU - Formula One’s governing body promised an immediate review of procedures after mechanics and photographers were in the fast lane when Alpine’s Esteban Ocon pitted at the end of Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“The FIA representatives expressed their regret at what happened and assured us that they would do so in time for the next event,” the statement added.
‘Pitlane Shambles';
https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/f...ambles-in-baku
Esteban Ocon wants FIA to act after he narrowly avoids pit-lane ‘disaster’
30/04/2023 | 15:58 PM
By Philip Duncan, PA F1 Correspondent, Baku
BreakingNews.ie
Esteban Ocon has demanded Formula One’s governing body takes action after he said a “big disaster” was narrowly avoided in Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. On-board video footage from the French driver’s car showed dozens of people – who had gathered at the entrance to the pit-lane with the race still ongoing – scrambling to get out of his way.
“I would not have liked to have been in there with the speed I was arriving. If I missed the braking point it could have been a big disaster. It was crazy.” Ocon continued: “I don’t understand why they are starting to prep the podium while we are still racing. There is one lap to go. I am arriving at 300kph (185mph) and I am braking very late.”
“It is clear. We need to wait until all the cars have passed the chequered flag and ensure there is no racing in the pit lane. It is not a mystery. It is very simple. We don’t want to see this happening again. I am sure the FIA has seen it and they will take action. And if they don’t take action, I will go and speak to them.”
‘Narrowly avoids pit-lane disaster’;
https://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/es...r-1469396.html
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Red Bull confirm Verstappen Perez ‘free to race’ for F1 title.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has confirmed Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are “free to race” for this season’s Formula 1 title following the Mexican driver’s stand-out performance across the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.
Monday 1st May, 2023 - 2:07am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe
Far from being the expected cruise to a third consecutive championship, Verstappen is at least coming under threat for that bid from within his own team given Red Bull’s rivals are tripping over themselves to simply be best of the rest. “At the moment it’s the two of them,” said Horner. “There’s a slight gap to the rest of the field but there are 19 more races to go and five sprint races, so there’s a huge amount of racing at a whole variety of different circuits.”
“It could ebb and flow between the two of them, reliability could be a factor. Of course, what we’re more focused on at the moment is building a buffer with both of the drivers because when we get back to Europe, I’m sure there are going to be sizeable upgrades (from their rival teams). And, of course, we have a reduced capacity to develop this year, so that’s where our focus is – trying to build a gap.”
Asked whether the duo are free to race, Horner replied: “They were free to race today. All year, so far, they’ve been free to race.” As to whether that will be the case for the remainder of the year, Horner added: “Yeah, until the team’s interests, if you’re competing against a competitor, becomes bigger than the drivers’ interests. But as it is at the moment, they’re free to race.”
‘Free to race’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/05/01...-free-to-race/
I’d be leading the championship if not for Melbourne problems, says Perez after Baku victory.
30 Apr 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video).
Sergio Perez insists he’s right in the championship hunt after his second win of the season, and is raring to challenge again next week in Miami.
‘I’d be leading the championship’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...923908546.html
Max Verstappen details Azerbaijan GP 'pain' in cool down room chat with Sergio Perez.
Perez won the Baku race with Verstappen forced to settle for second, having pitted from the lead moments before a safety car gave his team-mate a cheap stop for new tyres
15:54, 30 Apr 2023
By Daniel Moxon F1 Writer
The Mirror
Max Verstappen admitted it was "painful" to lose out on victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix because of a poorly-timed safety car. As usual, the three podium finishers met in the cool down room while waiting for the post-race ceremony. Their discussion was caught on camera and broadcast on Sky Sports, with Verstappen and Leclerc the first to arrive and begin talking.
"You were pushing flat-out?" asked the Monegasque as they watched highlights of the race. Verstappen replied: "We were quite close but when you're following close, it's really tough. At one point it opened up a bit..." Perez then entered the room, and commented on how devoid of incident the race was. "Not much action out there?" he asked, before Leclerc declared in reply: "For me, it was the loneliest race ever. Fernando [Alonso] was coming back at the end – I think he finished six-tenths behind me."
The Mexican then turned to his team-mate as the TV showed Verstappen's poorly-timed pit stop and said: "You were unlucky there." The reply from the championship leader was: "It was a bit painful but it happens. Sometimes. You had it last year in Jeddah."
'Bit painful but it happens';
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...an-gp-29852697
‘I learned a lot of things’ – Verstappen takes the positives from Baku despite losing out to team mate Perez
30 April 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Although he was naturally disappointed not to claim victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Max Verstappen feels he gathered plenty of valuable information about his Red Bull that will aid his cause moving forward.
Reflecting on his afternoon at the wheel, Verstappen said: “I think, of course, the Safety Car was a bit unlucky. Then I had to push again, I tried to stay very close [to Perez], to try and get into the DRS, but I think the tyres were overheating a bit because of that, trying to follow.
“But also, the balance, I was struggling to be really consistent. I was playing around with the tools a little bit and, I think when I got that sorted, I would say the last 10 laps were actually quite good again. [It was] just a little bit too late [to challenge Perez], [but] I think a lot of things learned again throughout the race, and, of course, at the end of the day, a good team result.”
‘I learned a lot of things’;
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...voFYXccWO.html
Red Bull’s Christian Horner celebrates one-two result after dominant showing in Baku
May 1, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag
Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner was pleased to see the team achieve its third one-two result of the season, making for twenty-five since the team’s debut. Horner praised Sergio Perez for his stellar victory at Baku City Circuit, leading the pack from the time of his well-timed pit-stop during the lap eleven safety car until the checkered flag.
“Checo absolutely excelled today. He had the pace and really controlled the race, he benefited from the timing of the safety car but it was a phenomenal performance from him today and all weekend. Hats off to him.”
“We were unlucky with the safety car and the pit stop for Max. Sometimes things like that don’t go your way but that is racing and we will learn from it. Other than that it was an excellent performance from the whole team, another 1-2, our 25th!”
‘25th 1-2’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...owing-in-baku/
Sergio Perez: “I am definitely in the fight for the title”
May 1, 2023
By Ashley Cline
The Checkered Flag
Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez claimed victory at Baku City Circuit, rounding out an incredible weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Having started in third place, the Mexican driver bested pole-sitter Charles Leclerc and team-mate Max Verstappen to secure his second win of the season.
“It has been an unbelievable weekend, I am super pleased and I cannot say more about the Team, it has been a tremendous day for us and I am so proud of everyone. I want to say a big thanks to Thibaut, he is one of my mechanics who is at home for personal reasons, but he is still a very big part of our Team.”
“The Team enjoy calling me the King of the Streets, I am super happy for them all. They have been tremendous all weekend, from the sprint race yesterday through to the way we executed the race today, it was perfect.”
‘King of the Streets’;
https://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2...for-the-title/
Finally, Perez breathes life into title race
23:14 Sun, 30 Apr 2023.
Jonathon McEvoy.
Mail+
A World Championship fight that was lying half-dead on the floor was provided a kiss of life here in Baku, Sergio Perez winning ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.
Perez has been hailed as ‘King of the Streets’, including by his race engineer Hugh Bird after he took the chequered flag, and can at least keep Max honest. The Mexican is a winner in Monaco, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and here twice. On his day and this was one, he can be the equal of Verstappen, and they stand on two race victories each.
‘Perez breathes life into a World Championship fight that was lying half-dead’;
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily...82484303083954
https://www.mailplus.co.uk/edition/s...nto-title-race
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Leclerc admits that Red Bull are in a league of their own despite his improved performance in…
“They’re in another league once it comes to [the] race. The really good lap [in qualifying] managed to put us in front, but then over 51 laps, it was just not possible. They have so much more pace than we do in race pace.”
20:10 Sun, 30 Apr 2023.
Darius Needham.
FormulaNerds.
After the race, Leclerc heaped praise on Red Bull as he believes that they are clear of everyone out on track. “As I said yesterday, I think they found something that we didn’t yet and that’s where our focus is at the moment. Everybody’s working flat out to try and understand what we can do in the races, especially to just get more performance.”
Leclerc held of Fernando Alonso towards the end of the Grand Prix to claim third place in Baku. Coming into the weekend, the Monegasque driver had only scored six points in three races and was looking to improve on his and Ferrari’s poor start to the season.
‘League of their own’;
https://www.formulanerds.com/news/f1.../?nowprocket=1
Leclerc: Ferrari behind Aston Martin on race pace
Monday 1st May, 2023 - 11:55am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe
Charles Leclerc has claimed Ferrari has only the third fastest car in race trim behind Red Bull and Aston Martin following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Leclerc recorded his and Ferrari’s best result of 2023 with third on the streets of Baku.
“Got closer, maybe a little, but still very far behind in race pace at least,” he said of the gap to the cars ahead. I also think we are behind Aston Martin in terms of race pace, so we really need to work on that.” Leclerc hung on to third in the race by just 0.8s from a charging Fernando Alonso.
‘Ferrari behind Aston Martin’;
https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/05/01...-aston-martin/
Plenty of pole positions for Leclerc, but few wins
Published: 10:01, 1 May 2023
By Associated Press
Mail Online
There are plenty of different causes for Leclerc's comparative lack of wins, ranging from a slow or unreliable car (the Ferrari overheated when he led from pole in Spain last year), team strategy blunders (a pit stop mix-up at the next race in Monaco) to driver error (a crash while in the lead after starting on pole in France a few weeks later).
Where the next win might come from for Leclerc isn't clear. "Still a lot of work to do in terms of race pace," he said. "I think we´ve done absolutely everything, we´ve tried everything. But (the) bottom line is that we are just not quick enough."
‘Pole positions, few wins’;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap...lerc-wins.html
Leclerc highlights key issue in pace deficit to Red Bull
01 May 1:15PM
Author Jake Nichol
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365
Charles Leclerc has revealed he was forced into protecting his Formula 1 tyres in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as he could "kill" them if he pushed throughout. Leclerc: Ferrari 'kills' its tyres: "Well, we have to with our car otherwise we kill [the tyres] and then we cannot get them back and then this has a big influence on our performance," Leclerc explained to media, including RacingNews365 when asked about the tyre life on the SF-23.
"So, I think we did the perfect management today. But, we are just not quick enough. Whether we lack at the beginning of the stint, or at the end of the stint, this we can change but yeah, we just don't have enough performance for now.
"At the end, it [was] the same car [in the sprint and Grand Prix], I managed it differently, but actually the outcome doesn't change. We've optimised absolutely everything. The thing we should be happy about after a weekend like this is that we've maximised every session.”
‘Ferrari 'kills' its tyres’;
https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-hi...it-to-red-bull
Vasseur: Leclerc to Mercedes reports are 'BULL***T'
Monday 1 May 2023 07:59
Ilaria Mastio
GPFans
Fred Vasseur has confirmed that the rumours about Charles Leclerc leaving Ferrari for Mercedes are 'bull***t'. Talking to SkySport Italia after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Ferrari team principal dismissed the idea of the Monegasque driver moving to Mercedes from the Scuderia.
Vasseur said: “Yes, the rumours about Charles and Mercedes are bull***t. Charles said he loves Ferrari and wants to win with Ferrari. We are at the beginning of the season, where there is much gossip we will hear every weekend, but we are not worried.”
Vasseur said: "I'm very proud of Charles this weekend. He was perfect. He pushed when we asked him to push, creating a gap with Alonso. He just made a mistake on the second lap in Q3. It wasn't a mistake; he was already on pole, so he reached the goal."
'BULL***T';
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ur-f1-rumours/
Vasseur expects more ‘Leclerc gossip’ in 2023
1st May 2023, 07:56
ANDREW MAITLAND
Grandpx.news
Leclerc also rounded out the Baku race weekend, in which he was quickest in both the sprint and main qualifying sessions, by re-pledging his commitment to Maranello. “Fred has a good medium and long-term vision for the team,” he told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “I have no doubt that he is the one who can bring Ferrari back to the top.”
“Of course you can see from the outside that the car isn’t fast enough, but he has a good eye for what could work even better in the individual departments,” Leclerc added. Leclerc is under contract until the end of 2024, but Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko said recently that there would be escape clauses in the deal.
“There are setbacks along the way,” said Leclerc. “Last year and this year we didn’t take the step that we wanted. We have to do that now. But we also have to be able to deal with it. Michael (Schumacher) and Jean (Todt) also had immense pressure and still won several world championships in a row. So we can’t complain.”
‘Re-pledging his commitment to Maranello’;
https://grandpx.news/vasseur-expects...ossip-in-2023/
