F1 race results: Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan GP in Red Bull 1-2

Perez benefited when team-mate Max Verstappen pitted just before a safety car, which cost him two places.

Before that, Verstappen had passed Ferrari’s pole-winner Charles Leclerc to take the lead at the start of lap four and pulled away. A safety car was called after Verstappen made his pitstop, dropping him to third as his rivals pitted under yellow.

Despite quickly repassing Leclerc, Verstappen dropped out of Perez’s DRS range and never got within striking distance.

2023 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix results

Cla	Driver		Laps	Time	Gap	Interval	Points
1	Sergio Perez		51	1:32'42.436			25
2	Max Verstappen		51	1:32'44.573	2.137	2.137	18
3	Charles Leclerc		51	1:33'03.653	21.217	19.080	15
4	Fernando Alonso		51	1:33'04.460	22.024	0.807	12
5	Carlos Sainz		51	1:33'27.927	45.491	23.467	10
6	Lewis Hamilton		51	1:33'28.581	46.145	0.654	8
7	Lance Stroll		51	1:33'34.053	51.617	5.472	6
8	George Russell		51	1:33'56.676	1'14.240	22.623	5
9	Lando Norris		51	1:34'02.812	1'20.376	6.136	2
10	Yuki Tsunoda		51	1:34'06.298	1'23.862	3.486	1
11	Oscar Piastri		51	1:34'08.937	1'26.501	2.639
12	Alex Albon		51	1:34'11.059	1'28.623	2.122
13	Kevin Magnussen		51	1:34'12.165	1'29.729	1.106
14	Pierre Gasly		51	1:34'13.768	1'31.332	1.603
15	Esteban Ocon		51	1:34'20.230	1'37.794	6.462
16	Logan Sargeant		51	1:34'23.379	1'40.943	3.149
17	Nico Hulkenberg		50	1 lap
18	Valtteri Bottas		50	1 lap
	Zhou Guanyu		36
	Nyck de Vries		9
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How the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix unfolded

Leclerc held his pole position advantage into Turn 1, leading ahead of Verstappen and Perez.

Verstappen stayed in DRS range of Leclerc and blasted ahead of him at the start of lap four, while Perez repeated that move on Leclerc two tours later, making it a Red Bull 1-2.

Behind the Ferraris of Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes suffered tyre graining and came under attack from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin, Hamilton diving for the pits just before he was overtaken.

Verstappen pitted under green on lap 11, as Nyck de Vries’s AlphaTauri stopped on track and caused a safety car moments later. Perez, who was right behind Verstappen before the stops, benefited by pitting a lap later under yellow – meaning Perez and Leclerc got ahead of Verstappen.

Ferrari and Aston Martin double-stacked their cars, which allowed George Russell (Mercedes) to jump Lance Stroll (Aston).

The race went green again on lap 14, Perez leading Leclerc, Verstappen, Sainz, Alonso, Russell and Stroll. Hamilton was the big loser, dropping from his earlier fifth to 10^th.

Verstappen outbraked Leclerc for second at Turn 3, as Stroll overtook Russell moments later, and Alonso passed Sainz at Turn 4. A lap later, Hamilton outbraked Russell at Turn 1 to get ahead of his team-mate.

Stroll hit the wall at Turn 5, the same mistake as de Vries had made, but his left-front corner survived. Hamilton passed Stroll for sixth, after Lance ran wide at Turn 16. Hamilton then set his sights on Sainz but just couldn’t find a way past.

At the front, Perez had one brush of the wall at Turn 15, but maintained his lead over Verstappen for his second victory of the weekend after his sprint win on Saturday. Leclerc was a distant third, as he stayed out of Alonso’s range.

Sainz held off Hamilton, as did Stroll with Russell – who made a late pitstop for softs, which produced an extra point for fastest lap on the final tour.

There was late drama as Esteban Ocon, who started his Alpine from the pitlane, pitted on the final lap and found people running across the lane. Fortunately, they got out of the way just in time.

2023 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix fastest laps

Cla	Driver		Lap	Time	Gap	Interval	km/h
1	George Russell		51	1'43.370			209.062
2	Max Verstappen		51	1'44.232	0.862	0.862	207.333
3	Fernando Alonso		49	1'44.241	0.871	0.009	207.315
4	Charles Leclerc		49	1'44.561	1.191	0.320	206.681
5	Sergio Perez		50	1'44.589	1.219	0.028	206.625
6	Carlos Sainz		48	1'45.175	1.805	0.586	205.474
7	Lewis Hamilton		48	1'45.346	1.976	0.171	205.141
8	Pierre Gasly		47	1'45.540	2.170	0.194	204.764
9	Lance Stroll		45	1'45.627	2.257	0.087	204.595
10	Oscar Piastri		51	1'45.631	2.261	0.004	204.587
11	Yuki Tsunoda		51	1'45.727	2.357	0.096	204.401
12	Lando Norris		49	1'45.738	2.368	0.011	204.380
13	Kevin Magnussen		51	1'45.850	2.480	0.112	204.164
14	Esteban Ocon		49	1'45.908	2.538	0.058	204.052
15	Alex Albon		51	1'45.925	2.555	0.017	204.019
16	Valtteri Bottas		36	1'46.304	2.934	0.379	203.292
17	Logan Sargeant		49	1'46.501	3.131	0.197	202.916
18	Nico Hulkenberg		34	1'46.731	3.361	0.230	202.479
19	Zhou Guanyu		31	1'47.553	4.183	0.822	200.931
20	Nyck de Vries		4	1'48.781	5.411	1.228	198.663
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2023 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix tyre strategy

Cla	Driver		1		2		3		4
1	Sergio Perez		M	11	H	40
2	Max Verstappen		M	10	H	41
3	Charles Leclerc		M	11	H	40
4	Fernando Alonso		M	11	H	40
5	Carlos Sainz		M	11	H	40
6	Lewis Hamilton		M	9	H	42
7	Lance Stroll		M	11	H	43
8	George Russell		M	11	H	38	S	2
9	Lando Norris		M	9	H	42
10	Yuki Tsunoda		M	8	H	43
11	Oscar Piastri		M	8	H	43
12	Alex Albon		M	7	H	44
13	Kevin Magnussen		M	10	H	41
14	Pierre Gasly		M	5	H	18	H	28
15	Esteban Ocon		H	50	S	1
16	Logan Sargeant		M	8	H	43
17	Nico Hulkenberg		H	49	S	1
18	Valtteri Bottas		M	6	H	6	H	22	M	16
	Zhou Guanyu		M	11	H	25
	Nyck de Vries		H	9
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