Sergio Pérez dominated today’s sprint in the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Red Bull thus remains undefeated this season.
The Mexican won the 17-lap race ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari and defending champion Max Verstappen in the second Red Bull.
This morning, Leclerc won the first separate qualification intended only for the sprint. Rookie Logan Sargeant had a big crash in it, which prevented the Williams pilot from starting in the sprint.
Leclerc maintained his lead over Pérez after the start. Behind him, a very tough battle between Verstappen and George Russell flared up, from which the Briton in Mercedes came out victorious.
In the second lap, Juki Cunoda performed an unprecedented feat, literally stripping the tire off the rear wheel of the AlphaTauri car after contact with the barriers.
The safety car came out of the pits to clean the track. After the restart, a disgruntled Verstappen got back in front of Verstappen.
In the eighth round, Pérez confirmed that the city circuit was his seat. Using the DRS system on the home straight, he overtook Leclerc to take the lead. He was able to escape the red car from Maranello, but his rival still held a vital one second gap. However, the Mexican’s pace did not last until the end and in the end he was glad that he was not attacked by another Red Bull.
The victorious Pérez thus added eight points to the standings and secured second place over leading team-mate Verstappen. Only the best eight pilots score points in the sprint.
The Grand Prix of Azerbaijan itself starts on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Leclerc and Ferrari will also be on pole.
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