Really, the only thing in doubt after 10 laps is that Red Bull will win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday. But even that, in the end, is no contest.
Sergio Pérez overcame both the field and his teammate, Max Verstappen, to win Sunday in Baku. The finish line was Pérez’s second win of the season – Verstappen won the other two – and marked the third time in four races that Red Bull’s car crossed the first and second lines.
The results also leave little doubt about Red Bull’s advantage over every other team in Formula 1 this season, as they are the fastest team in practice, in qualifying and on Sunday. But it also set the stage for a long and hot summer of racing between the two Red Bull drivers; Pérez is currently only six points behind Verstappen in the standings of the season.
“Well done guys, this weekend we dominated,” Pérez told his team over radio after the win. “We’re at war.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won the consolation prize in third, trailing only Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. It was Leclerc’s first time on the podium of the year, but he was – like everyone else – beaten by Red Bull. Again.
Disaster is near
For the second race in a row, Formula 1 narrowly avoided tragedy when people flooded the track before the race was over.
In Australia, it was the fans who jostled through gaps in the fence to get onto the track even as the cars were still racing at full speed. On Sunday, the scare hit the pit lane, where photographers, crew members and safety officials had exited the garage area to watch Pérez and Verstappen cross the shoved finish line. pushed as Alpine’s Esteban Ocon entered the area at racing speed.
Photographers were gathering in front of the pit lane area where the finishers on the parking platform before the awards ceremony and the team mechanics – including those from Red Bull – were celebrating on the pit wall.
But the race, at that point, wasn’t over yet. Ocon’s stop is not an option if he wants to get the points earned from his shot. The driver must complete at least one pit stop to change a tire in a race and he has yet to enter.
The organizers of the Australian Grand Prix have launched an investigation following the trespassing incident in Melbourne, one person has admitted “could be terrible.” But those seem to be the result of fan error.
A Formula 1 spokesman told reporters in Baku it would do the same after Sunday’s incident in which those on the track were accredited photographers – most likely recognized by the public. management put on the track – and the crew members were much more familiar with the dangers of racing.
Sunday race in the picture
When the race turns
Almost immediately. Ferrari’s Leclerc starts at pole but even he admits he may not hold the lead for long. He was right.
Verstappen overtook him in Round 4. Pérez overcame Leclerc three rounds later. At the time, the only question seemed to be which Red Bull would win. An early appearance in front of the safety car – after Verstappen had been pitted – allowed Pérez to reverse their order and take the lead, and the race never ended after that.
What are they saying?
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Pérez, a 1-2 loss against Red Bull: “Today we pushed to the max. We both hit the wall a few times. We pushed out of there. The way Max pushed me was really hard, but we got him under control.”
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Leclerc, chasing Pérez and Verstappen every week: “Honestly, it feels a bit better, but when I see the gap, we still have a lot of work to do.”
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Verstappen, the unluckiest runner-up in the world: “You keep learning. It can never be perfect all the time.”
Drivers’ Championship Rankings
Red Bull’s biggest challenge over the next month could be keeping the peace among the drivers as they vie for the championship. That race gets a lot tighter:
