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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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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.
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.
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.
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.
Stopwatch
Perez posts a 1m44.869s for another new fastest lap and that pulls out another three-tenths of a second on Verstappen.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 responds, right on cue, with a new fastest lap to stem the time bleed to Perez.
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.
After that moment with the wall, Hulkenberg is now back under a second behind Ocon as the battle for ninth continues.
Verstappen is complaining about the balance between the differential and the engine braking under deceleration, which could explain his minor pace drop.
Perez is trying to sneak clear, building the lead to 2.3s at the start of lap 30. Can Verstappen respond?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hamilton is within DRS range of Sainz, so he'll be shaping up for a move for fifth place shortly.
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?
Further back, there's a large train of cars behind Ocon in ninth. Hulkenberg has just attempted a pass on the Alpine at Turn 3 but to no avail. This could get interesting.
This race is settling down now, with tyre management the priority given the slightly earlier pitstops due to the safety car period. Perez's lead is 1.1s over Verstappen as we approach half distance.
Behind the Red Bulls, Leclerc is settled in third 2.8s ahead of Alonso, but it won't be a comfortable position in front of the relentless Spaniard.
Stroll had a huge slide at Turn 16 and that's enough for Hamilton to pounce along the straight and move into sixth. Seems Alonso's brake balance suggestion didn't work there...
Perez is keeping Verstappen at bay so far, the gap now inching towards 1.4s on lap 20. This one is developing nicely.
Ocon is the latest to get very, very close to the wall - but just gets away with it. We're not even halfway through this race yet, so plenty of time for more victims to be snared.
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"Tell Lance my brake balance suggestion. As I am now, I think it's a good help," Alonso reports over team radio. The Alonso-Stroll love story continues - move over Taylor Swift.
Replays have shown Magnussen having a huge slide at Turn 1 as he attempted to pass Zhou with a lunge down the inside. The Haas very nearly hit the barriers there but just got away with it, but has to cede the place to the Alfa.
Perez and Verstappen are effectively matching each other for pace so the gap remains at 1.3s - they are almost a full second per lap faster than Leclerc in third.
Stroll clips the wall exactly where de Vries tagged his AlphaTauri and ended his race. The Aston appears OK and remains sixth but that'll be a worry for the rest of the race.
Yet the stewards have looked at that very quickly and say no further investigation is necessary so Russell's in the clear.
But there could be more trouble for Russell as his side-by-side moment entering the pits with Stroll has also been noted by race control.
Perez can breathe a small sigh of relief as he won't be investigated over an unsafe release. Just the threat of Verstappen from behind to worry about now...
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"Well that was a **** restart, sorry guys," says Russell over the radio as he has now lost some of the ground gained by that safety car.
DRS is enabled again, as Verstappen puts in a new fastest lap and cuts Perez's lead down to 1.3s at the start of lap 16.
Perez is getting a wiggle on to break free from Verstappen as he sets a new fastest lap to pull his lead to 1.5s. But is trouble to follow, he's been noted for an unsafe release on his pitstop.
And Hamilton now charges past Russell into Turn 1. The seven-time champion is on a mission here!
Hamilton was another to really lose out with the timing of that safety car as he had just stopped - but he has now cleared Ocon and Hulkenberg on the restart, so is up to eighth.
By: Autosport Staff
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