Red Bull’s Sergio Perez clinched the win in Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint event, setting the tone for Sunday’s fourth round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship in Baku.
The sprint race marked the first of its kind this season, with a new qualifying format that saw Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc lead from pole ahead of Perez.
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Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes) collided over third place, resulting in a safety car interruption before Verstappen retook third from Russell.
Perez, utilizing DRS on lap 8, overtook Leclerc and widened the gap to take the victory. Leclerc held onto second place despite Verstappen’s damaged car, whose floor and sidepod were affected by his clash with Russell.
Baku’s circuit is known for its tight corners and high speeds, providing a challenge for drivers and teams alike.
2023 F1 Azerbaijan sprint results
| Pos | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Laps | Gap |
| 1 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 17 | – |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 17 | -4.463 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 17 | -5.065 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 17 | -8.532 |
| 5 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 17 | -10.388 |
| 6 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 17 | -11.613 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 17 | -16.503 |
| 8 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 17 | -18.417 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 17 | -21.757 |
| 10 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 17 | -22.851 |
| 11 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 17 | -27.990 |
| 12 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 17 | -34.602 |
| 13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 17 | -36.918 |
| 14 | 21 | Nyck de Vries | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 17 | -41.626 |
| 15 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 17 | -48.587 |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo/Ferrari | 17 | -49.917 |
| 17 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 17 | -51.104 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 17 | -1’00.621 |
| – | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT | 2 | – |
| – | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | 0 | – |