The Mexican Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) won, with a whole driving lesson, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the fourth of the Formula One World Championship, held this Sunday at the Baku urban circuit; where he relegated to second and third place his teammate, the Dutchman Max Verstappen -who continues to lead the championship-, and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, who achieved the first podium of the year for Ferrari, respectively.
‘Checo’, born 33 years ago in Guadalajara (Jalisco), achieved his sixth victory since he started racing in F1, the second of the year -after Saudi Arabia- and the second in Baku. He where he had won in 2021, on a track where, in the seven editions in which he has hosted a Grand Prix, he has climbed five times to the podium; this time by dominating a test that the Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) finished in fourth and fifth position, respectively.
Pérez not only maintained his romance with the Azerbaijani capital; where on Saturday he had also won the first of six sprint tests that will be held this season – the others will take place in Austria, Belgium, Qatar, the United States and Brazil-. The brave driver from Guadalajara showed that, with this car, he can aspire to win the World Cup; in which he is second, but now with 87 points: only six less than ‘Mad Max’. And for the moment, he made one thing very clear: that, in the field of Formula One, it is him; and only he, the true King of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan GP, 51 laps (306.049 kilometers):
.1. Sergio Pérez MEX Red Bull 1h32:42,436
.2. Max Verstappen NED Red Bull at 2,137
.3. Charles Leclerc MON Ferrari 21,217
.4. Fernando Alonso ESP Aston Martin 22,024
.5. Carlos Sainz ESP Ferrari 45,491
.6. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 46,145
.7. Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin 51,617
.8. George Russell GBR Mercedes 1:14,240
.9. Lando Norris GBR McLaren 1:20,376
10. Yuki Tsunoda JPN Alpha Tauri 1:23.862
Formula One World Championship Ranking
.1. Max Verstappen NED Red Bull 93 points
.2. Sergio Perez MEX Red Bull 87
.3. Fernando Alonso ESP Aston Martin 60
.4. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 48
.5. Carlos Sainz ESP Ferrari 34
.6. Charles Leclerc MON Ferrari 28
.7. George Russell GBR Mercedes 28
.8. Lance Stroll CAN Aston Martin 27
.9. Lando Norris GBR McLaren 10
10. Nico Hulkenberg GER Haas 6