Sergio Perez secures a momentous victory over his Red Bull compatriot and present championship chief Max Verstappen, triumphantly clinching the Azerbaijan Grand Prix Sunday.
This excellent accomplishment solidifies Red Bull’s Formula One superiority, having secured a double triumph in Baku.
Helped by a security automotive interval that fell in his favor after Verstappen had pitted, the Mexican made essentially the most of his luck to take a sixth profession victory and develop into the primary driver to win the grand prix for a second time.
Perez is now six factors behind Verstappen with two wins every after 4 rounds and one other problem in Miami is simply every week away.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who began in pole place for the third 12 months in a row in Baku, completed a distant third for his staff’s first podium look of the 12 months with George Russell claiming the quickest lap for Mercedes.
“Well done guys, we dominated this weekend,” stated Perez who additionally received the Saturday dash.
“I think it was very close between us, we pushed to the maximum today, and we both clipped the wall a few times,” added the Mexican.
“The way Max pushed me today was really hard, but we managed to keep in control.”
Predictions of chaos and carnage, with the race the primary dash weekend of the 12 months, didn’t materialize on a day wanting thrills, spills or many overtakes.
“For me, it was the loneliest race ever,” stated Leclerc, who made a clear begin to lead into the primary nook and held off Verstappen till the drag discount system (DRS) was activated on lap three.
The champion then scythed previous at first of the subsequent lap and pulled away, with Perez slotting into second two laps later with equal ease.
Everything modified on lap 11 when Nyck de Vries clipped the wall and broke his AlphaTauri’s entrance left suspension, leaving the automotive stranded at flip 16.
The security automotive was deployed however Verstappen had already pitted whereas Perez stayed out, the Mexican then successfully gaining a free cease when he got here in with the sector slowed.
“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,” Red Bull staff boss Christian Horner informed Verstappen on the end.
“It is what it is. We wouldn’t know the safety car could come out there. Good team result,” replied the Dutch driver.
Ferrari and Aston Martin additionally benefited from the timing of the protection automotive, and Leclerc was again in second when racing resumed at first of lap 14.
Verstappen handed the Monegasque once more with ease whereas Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso overtook Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at flip six to go fourth – a place he stayed into the end.
The Red Bulls then confirmed their true tempo, turning the race right into a two-car contest with Verstappen, in second, already greater than 10 seconds away from Leclerc by the half distance.
“They are in another league once it comes to the race,” stated Leclerc.
Perez saved out of Verstappen’s DRS vary, nevertheless, stretching out a lead of two.5 seconds by lap 30 and ending with a 2.1-second benefit.
Sainz completed fifth with seven occasions world champion Lewis Hamilton sixth for Mercedes and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll seventh.
Russell was eighth forward of McLaren’s Lando Norris and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda amassing the ultimate level.
There have been worrying scenes on the ultimate lap with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon pitting for his sole cease and sending mechanics and photographers getting ready for the end scattering out of his approach.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
