It seems likely that Verstappen will be the one to claim maximum points on the day but one should not forget Perez's skills when it comes to a street circuit.
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After what feels like an eternity, Formula One is back and what better to restart the season than the pacey, narrow streets of Baku? Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is the leader of the driver’s championship by 15 points, ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso is in P3 after an outstanding start to the season with Aston Martin, which saw him on the podium in all of the three previous races. Verstappen has won two of the three races so far this season while Perez has won one. Apart from the aforementioned three, Lewis Hamilton is the only driver who has finished in the top three so far this season.
Verstappen won the Australian Grand Prix after battling with the Mercedes drivers, avoiding multiple Safety Cars, and avoiding three red flags to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. At the initial race start, Verstappen was passed by both George Russell and Hamilton. The Safety Car then made two quick appearances as a result of Alex Albon’s severe crash and Charles Leclerc’s retirement following a collision with Lance Stroll.
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“From my side, I just tried to avoid the contact, it’s quite clear on the rules what is allowed to do now on the outside, but clearly, it’s not followed. But that’s okay. We had good pace, we passed [Hamilton] anyway but it’s something for the next race to take into account,” said the Red Bull driver after the Grand Prix. “We had a very poor start and then [on] Lap 1 I was careful because I had a lot to lose, and they had a lot to win.”
Ahead of the Azerbaijan GP, it seems likely that the Dutchman will be the one to claim maximum points on the day but one should not forget Sergio Perez’s skills when it comes to a street circuit. The two teammates could be locked in a heated battle for the win which might cause some tension in the Red Bull paddock and set up nicely for some mid-season drama.
Fernando Alonso is also one of the podium contenders and with three podiums in three races, it would be unwise to bet against him. However, the likes of Haimlton and George Russell seem to be gradually getting up to speed and the Spaniard will have a difficult task if he wants to keep the Silver Arrows behind.
Here is the full schedule for the Azerbaijan GP weekend, which will feature the first Formula One sprint race of the 2023 season.
| Date | Event | Time (IST) | Time (Local) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 28 April | Practice 1 | 15:00-16:00 | 13:30-14:30 |
| Friday 28 April | Qualifying | 18:30-19:30 | 17:00-18:00 |
| Saturday 29 April | Practice 2 | 15:00-16:00 | 13:30-14:30 |
| Saturday 29 April | Sprint | 19:00-20:00 | 17:30-18:30 |
| Sunday 30 April | Race | 16:00 | 15:00 |
Australia – Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo, Network Ten
Azerbaijan – AzTV, Idman Azerbaycan
Canada – RDS, RDS 2, TSN, Noovo
India – F1 TV
UK – Sky Sports, C4
USA – ESPN, ESPN Deportes
