Apr 30

Apr 30 Sergio Perez wins first F1 sprint race of 2023

Sergio Pérez dominated on the streets of Baku to win the first F1 sprint race of 2023.

Sergio Perez in pit lane after the Baku sprint race. *(Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool)*

The Red Bull driver bested pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to take the lead on lap eight and drive off into the sunset to take victory.

"It was key to make sure we had good pace, good rhythm and that we pushed in the key moments of the race, that really made the difference today," said Pérez.

"I had to push quite hard initially to get past Charles, especially at the restart because on the first lap I could see he had good pace and very good mechanical grip."

"Later on, I was able to make the move early enough and that to me was important."

"In the end I think it was a really nicely executed race and it's been a great weekend from the whole team so far."

"I am really proud of my team because we have come back from a four week gap and then straight into a new format. We have done a tremendous job but tomorrow is what matters and we must focus on that now."

"I am confident I will be fighting for the win tomorrow but let's see, it is Baku and anything can happen! I just have to make sure I deliver when it happens."

Charles Leclerc leads the field from pole to start the Baku sprint. *(Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool)*

The only interruption to the track action came when Yuki Tsunoda hit the wall, losing his right rear tyre and bringing out the safety car.

Teammate Max Verstappen completed the podium after passing the Mercedes of George Russell on lap six in an otherwise uneventful race. The pair made contact, which Red Bull say impacted the pace of the reigning world champion.

All drivers except Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas started the race on the medium tyre, with Norris and Bottas on the soft compound. Tyre wear was a key factor, with drivers hesitant to push as they struggled even with the medium sets.

Saturday tyre analysis at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - click to expand. *(Pirelli)*

Both Norris and Esteban Ocon pitted, effectively ruining their races in the limited running. Pirelli head of motorsport Mario Isola indicated that they were using the race as an extra test session once they proved uncompetitive during the race.

“As expected, some of the teams that didn’t expect to have much of a chance of scoring points today used the 17 laps of the sprint race to try two different compounds and gather extra information ahead of tomorrow’s grand prix,” said Isola.

The Formula 1 field returns in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at 9pm on Sunday (AEST).

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2023 FIA Formula One World Championship - Round 4 Baku Sprint Race