Three things we learned from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which was gained by Red Bull’s Sergio Perez on Sunday.
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Sergio Perez makes title assertion
Sergio Perez’s managed win over team-mate Max Verstappen in Baku was excellent news for Formula One followers.
Red Bull nailed the downforce modifications final 12 months satirically launched to generate nearer racing, however the consequence was in some ways the reverse with Verstappen sweeping to his second world championship.
While the Austrian workforce are nonetheless streets forward of their grid rivals ultimately now there appears to be the prospect of a correct intra-team battle for the 2023 title.
Perez adopted up Saturday’s dash win with what some take into account the greatest of his six profession successes.
It pushed him to inside six factors of his teammate heading to Florida for subsequent weekend’s race in Miami.
As the Mexican left Baku he solely had one thought on his thoughts – the world title.
“Yes, I am in the championship fight, I really believe that, but as I’ve found the best way to speak is on track,” mentioned the driver who went 190 races earlier than his first win in Bahrain in 2020.
Perez believes that with out the points on his facet of the Red Bull storage throughout a disastrous qualifying in Melbourne it might be him and never Verstappen heading to Florida at the high of the drivers standings.
“I can only think back to problems in Melbourne, without those we should be leading the championship.”
But his ideas are on the future.
“Baku was a wonderful consequence for the championship and for now I’m solely pondering ahead, solely serious about Miami.
“I’m in the championship fight, but I’ve been saying for awhile the best way to speak is on the track.”
The man whose delicate job it’s to supervise the two title combatants is Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
“Checo (Perez) has been unimaginable all weekend. They have been pushing one another extremely arduous.
“We allowed them to race, as long as they keep it clean they can race,” mentioned Horner, that means the gloves are off, evoking reminiscences of Nico Rosberg’s gripping battle with Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to say the 2016 world title by 5 factors in the closing race of the season.
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‘Scrap’ sprints
Double world champion Max Verstappen didn’t sit on the fence when quizzed on the new dash format – “just scrap the whole thing!” he instructed.
Baku staged the first of the six 100 kilometre dashes this season which for the first time have their very own ‘Sprint shootout’ qualifying.
The common feeling in the paddock was the change, solely permitted by the FIA final Tuesday, was constructive, giving an added layer of pleasure to followers.
But Verstappen derided the dash shootout’ as “artificial excitement”.
“I bought bored by way of (the dash) qualifying to be sincere.
“I like to have one particular Qualifying, where you just put everything in it, and that was Friday, which I of course enjoy, and then they have to do it again, I’m like, ‘my God, another qualifying?’ I just don’t really enjoy that.”
Warming to his theme he in contrast the dash to “gambling”.
“I think I will have more success in Vegas if I go to the casino. So yeah, I like racing, I’m a pure racer and I think this is more for the show.”
While there could be just a few tweaks in the pipeline Charles Leclerc backed the change with the caveat that sprints don’t begin popping up at extra weekends – MotoGP as an illustration have launched them as a fixture at each race.
Charles and the cat
Alarm bells sounded throughout the dash when pole-sitting Charles Leclerc reported on the workforce radio that “there was a cut” – suggesting a critical situation on his Ferrari – the very last thing the workforce wanted after their painful exhibiting in the first three races.
But Leclerc was blissful to reassure scuderia supporters the solely downside was a misunderstanding of his English.
“I said a cat – which is different! There was a cat in the middle of the road and the Safety Car had to stop – but I think I was probably the only one who saw that?”
Serio Perez chipped in with a helpful suggestion: “I didn’t see it – but maybe Max can adopt the cat!”
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
