Azerbaijan Sprint: Perez’s Victory, Verstappen-Russell Clash

In an exhilarating Azerbaijan GP sprint, Sergio Perez outperformed pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to maintain Red Bull’s impeccable 2023 Formula 1 streak, while Max Verstappen settled for third following a contentious early battle with George Russell.

Sergio Perez surpassed pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to keep Red Bull’s flawless 2023 Formula 1 record intact during the Azerbaijan GP sprint, while Max Verstappen finished third after sustaining damage in a heated early exchange with George Russell.

Russell had a stronger start than his second-row counterpart Verstappen, and the Mercedes and Red Bull cars made slight contact multiple times in the initial corners before Russell fully moved ahead. A frustrated Verstappen believed this was solely due to the nudge from the Mercedes, leading to a confrontation with Russell following the race in parc ferme.

However, Russell couldn’t maintain his lead for long. Following a safety car period prompted by debris from Yuki Tsunoda’s damaged AlphaTauri, Verstappen executed a clean overtaking maneuver on Russell to regain third place.

He remained in that position, as Perez leveraged Red Bull’s DRS advantage to overtake Leclerc’s Ferrari shortly after the restart, ultimately securing his second victory of 2023 after winning the Saudi Arabian GP.

With noticeable damage to his RB19, Verstappen found it difficult to pose a significant threat to Leclerc’s second place; a hole in his sidepod was visible in parc ferme.

Simultaneously, as Russell lost third place to Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton’s second Mercedes car was passed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz for fifth place and was then demoted to seventh by the opportunistic Fernando Alonso.

Alonso’s Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll managed to pass qualifying sensation Alex Albon’s Williams to claim the final point in eighth place.

Albon and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren finished within the top 10. Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris started off in 10th but was among the few drivers who opted for soft tires in a predominantly medium field. This decision proved ineffective as he dropped to 17th after losing pace and eventually pitting to replace them.

2023 Azerbaijan Sprint Grand Prix race outcome

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• MORE FORMULE 1!
• D**Khead : Verstappen vs. Russell – Heated Exchange Follows Tense Battle at Azerbaijan GP Sprint
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