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Formula 1
Azerbaijan GP
F1 Azerbaijan GP Live Commentary and Updates – Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
F1 is in Baku for round four, with Charles Leclerc beating the Red Bulls to pole in both qualifying sessions for the sprint and grand prix.
But after Leclerc lost out to Sergio Perez in the sprint race, the Ferrari driver will aim to fight back with a second shot from pole for the main race.
As part of the 2023 sprint race weekend format tweaks, the starting grid was decided by Friday’s qualifying session rather than the finishing order in the sprint race.
But both Esteban Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg will start from the pitlane due to car changes in parc ferme conditions.
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Pit stop
Seems as if Alpine is struggling with tyres as Gasly, who was the first to pit anyway, now bails into the pits again. Is this race shaping up to be a two-stopper?
Hamilton is within DRS range of Sainz, so he'll be shaping up for a move for fifth place shortly.
It's a real Trulli train forming behind Ocon now. Hulkenberg, Norris and Tsunoda are all in close company with Piastri, Albon and Magnussen not far adrift either.
If Perez and Verstappen are trying to set identical lap times, they are doing a very good job! Last time around their laps were split by 0.009s. While their gap is stable, they are now over 12 seconds clear of Leclerc.
Hamilton has dropped back out of DRS range of Sainz, and now the seven-time F1 world champion will need to keep an eye on Stroll and Russell behind him.
In his attempts to pass Ocon, Hulkenberg is the latest to ding the wall - this time at Turn 15 - but is told "all is OK". However, it's cost him the best part of a second in his battle with Ocon, giving the Alpine some breathing space.
Quote
"What do you think about Plan A or Plan C, are you still happy Plan A?" Sainz is asked on team radio. "Yes, at the moment, yes," is the reply. What happened to Plan B?
Perez is trying to sneak clear, building the lead to 2.3s at the start of lap 30. Can Verstappen respond?
Verstappen is complaining about the balance between the differential and the engine braking under deceleration, which could explain his minor pace drop.
After that moment with the wall, Hulkenberg is now back under a second behind Ocon as the battle for ninth continues.
Stopwatch
Perez is looking to strike amid Verstappen's issue, setting a new fastest lap of 1m45.394s, to extend his lead to 2.4s.
Stopwatch
Verstappen responds, right on cue, with a new fastest lap to stem the time bleed to Perez.
The battle to not be last is one of the closest in the entire field as Gasly dives one way and then the other to pass Bottas across the pit straight for 18th.
Stopwatch
Verstappen becomes the latest Turn 15 barrier botherer, giving a gentle kiss with his right-rear tyre. No harm done, while ahead Perez takes back the fastest lap with a 1m45.311s.
Oh, careful Sergio! The Mexican clips the wall on entry into Turn 15 and he came very close to undoing all his good work so far today.
The Ocon train is getting plenty of air time - but with each car getting DRS off the other, no-one is really shaping for a move just yet. Ocon and Hulkenberg are yet to pit and at some point they're going to have to bail for a different compound.
Pit stop
Someone who has bailed is Bottas, who was already last and has now stopped to bolt on a set of the mediums for the final 16 laps.
Stopwatch
Perez posts a 1m44.869s for another new fastest lap and that pulls out another three-tenths of a second on Verstappen.
Hamilton has latched into DRS range of Sainz once again but cannot get close enough to make a move. After the early flurry of action, that's been the story for most of this race.
Mechanical problem
Oh and we've got our second retirement. Zhou has pulled into the pits after being told he has an "issue" - nice and precise from Alfa there.
The shortening of the DRS zone by 100m on the main straight has restricted those huge slingshot overtakes from previous years at Baku, but overtaking is still possible as we've seen, as Hamilton once again finds no way by Sainz.
Perez is getting away from Verstappen as the gap opens up to 3.5s - the Mexican was four-tenths of a second faster last time around.
Hamilton is as close to Sainz as he has been all race in the fight for fifth place, with just half a second between the two.
But Hamilton's Mercedes just doesn't have the straightline grunt to get alongside the Ferrari, so he remains stuck behind in sixth.
With 10 laps to go Verstappen has trimmed Perez's lead back to 2.9s. Game on?
Ocon and Hulkenberg are seemingly leaving as late as they can before pitting, just in case a safety car creeps into play. But, when they do eventually stop, they're going to plummet down to very nearly last place.
An overtake! OK, it was Perez lapping last-placed Bottas, but it still counts, right?
Now we have a genuine overtake! Gasly has passed Sargeant for that all-important 16th spot!
It was down the pit straight and around the outside into Turn 1 that Gasly swept by the Williams in that moment of excitement.
Stopwatch
Leclerc is tracking the pace of Alonso behind him, as he posts a new fastest lap of the race of anyone with a 1m44.670s.
Hulkenberg is clearly struggling on his ancient tyres and has now clonked the wall at Turn 15 again. But, as with his earlier strike, no major damage is done - although he's fall adrift from Ocon in ninth.
Perez, barring disaster, looks to have this one in his hands. The gap is 3.7s over Verstappen with five laps to go. Further back, Leclerc is third with a 3.4s gap on Alonso.
Wow, we are being treated, another overtake! Norris has now finally got by the struggling Hulkenberg and is up into 10th. Hulkenberg was slightly wide at Turn 7 and Norris got the better exit.
Tsunoda doesn't quite follow Norris ahead into Turn 1 - but the AlphaTauri is still on for a points finish when Ocon and Hulkenberg stop.
Tsunoda does get ahead this time as he blasts past Hulkenberg on the pit straight and into 11th place.
Quote
"I think we need to pit, the tyres are really bad," says Hulkenberg, who is still yet to stop.
There are going to be some frustrated drivers at the end of this race, either having been stuck behind a rival without the chance to pass or waiting for a safety car to shake up the strategy.
Piastri is now the latest to pass the ailing Hulkenberg. This strategy gamble isn't really paying off for the Haas man.
Stopwatch
Verstappen shaves Perez's lead to just under three seconds, as he sets a new fastest lap of 1m44.566s to take back that fastest lap bonus point.
Stopwatch
Not for long, as Alonso sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1m44.541s to close to 2.7s off Leclerc.
By: Autosport Staff
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