The first sprint weekend of the 2023 season faced drivers at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with the pressure on all 20 more intense than ever due to two more competitive sessions than a usual weekend.
Some drivers wilted under the added pressure, but some performed admirably in spite of it. Red Bull once again were the victors, and the top four teams dominated the top eight positions in the race, leaving the rest of the field to scrap among themselves for the final points-paying positions.
Here are the RaceFans driver ratings for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen – 7/10
Sprint Qualified: 3rd (1 place behind team mate)
Sprint Finished: 3rd (2 places behind team mate)
Qualified: 2nd (1 place ahead of team mate, -0.104s)
Grid: 2nd (1 place ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: 2nd (1 place behind team mate)
- Fastest in practice before qualifying second on the grid in Friday qualifying
- Beaten by team mate in sprint race qualifying, then suffered sidepod damage after contact with Russell in the sprint race
- Finished third in the sprint race, then lined up second on the grid for the grand prix
- Held second at the start before passing Leclerc for the lead on lap three
- Pitted just before Safety Car, dropping to third, but overtook Leclerc immediately at the restart
- Tried to chase down team mate for the lead but had to settle for second at the finish
A rare occasion when Verstappen appeared to lack the race pace of his team mate. Even if he lost the lead with the Safety Car, he was coming under pressure from Perez behind just before he pitted. He made light work of Leclerc after the restart and tried to bide his time to put the pressure on his team mate, but just could not get close enough to challenge for the win. Still, a solid weekend where he should not be left too disappointed.
Sergio Perez – 7/10
Sprint Qualified: 2nd (1 place ahead of team mate)
Sprint Finished: Winner (2 places ahead of team mate)
Qualified: 3rd (1 place behind team mate, +0.104s)
Grid: 3rd (1 place behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (M-H)
Finished: Winner (1 place ahead of team mate)
- Qualified third after admitting final Q3 lap was “not ideal”
- Beat team mate to second in sprint race qualifying but could not deny Leclerc pole
- Overtook Leclerc for lead of the sprint race after DRS was activated, going on to win by four seconds
- Held third place at start of the grand…
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