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Sergio Perez won the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP in dominant fashion and made what can only be described as a statement in the championship battle.
The Mexican did gain the advantage with the timing of the safety car, but other than that, his ability to metronomically put together one fastest lap after another was what truly won him that race.
On the other side of the garage, it's safe to say that Max Verstappen was truly humbled in the race. The Red Bull driver found it hard to keep up with his teammate as Perez notched up his first win against Verstappen in a straight shootout.
Elsewhere, we had Charles Leclerc securing his first podium finish of the season. He truly shined during the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP and should be lauded for the kind of effort he put together.
After what appeared to be a hectic three-day schedule at the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP sprint race weekend, who would be heading on to the plane with a smile on his face, and who would be a bit disappointed? Let's take a look.
2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP
Winner
Sergio Perez
It's still early days in the season, but Sergio Perez is starting to prove himself as a worthy title contender. In the eyes of many (the writer included), the misstep in Australia where he messed up his qualifying was supposed to be the point from where Max Verstappen took over.
Well, that did not happen. This weekend was all about Sergio Perez fighting back and making a statement. He's won both the races this weekend and he did that by beating the best driver on the grid fair and square. Things could get interesting if this continues.
Loser
Max Verstappen
If Max Verstappen is smart, he would drop the whole 'I don't like sprint weekends' stance and focus on what's important i.e. the racing. The Red Bull driver has been too distracted by things that should not be occupying his mind during the race weekend.
There are remarks about the sprint format, unnecessary back and forth with a Mercedes driver that he will not be fighting with for a while. None of this is important and even though he still leads the championship, he needs a rethink for sure. The threat from Sergio Perez is real and if Max does not give the Mexican the respect he deserves, he will be in for a shock.
Winner
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc
This was a reminder, if anyone needed one, of Charles Leclerc's talents. The driver was scintillating throughout the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP race weekend as both of his pole laps were superb. Not only that, what stood out even more was how well he managed the race as well. Battling the Red Bull drivers did not make any sense as the car was just not good enough to fight them. Beyond that, he was the best of the rest.
Ferrari will also be relieved as the team secured its first podium of the season. The team will be looking for more of the same in the coming races as building momentum will be key this season.
Loser
F1
It was a disappointing weekend for the sport in general. The sprint weekend requires major commitment from F1 fans over three days and that's just not ideal. Not only that, but the quality of racing was also disappointing as the shortened DRS turned out to be a horrible decision.
On a 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP 'Sprint weekend', the sport produced two processions (both the races) that left a somewhat bad taste in the mouth of the fans.
Winner
McLaren
It remains to be seen whether the upgrade introduced by McLaren will work on other tracks, but at the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP, it worked like a charm. There are still some question marks over the kind of progress that McLaren has made, especially in comparison to the midfield leader in Alpine, but overall if the team continues to score points that's all one can hope for. A very impressive race for McLaren as the team continues to score points.
Loser
Alpine
Talk about falling short of expectations! Alpine came into the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP with claims of challenging for P2 in the championship. It's hard to make a true judgment of where the team finds itself with its upgrades, but it's safe to say it's not in the same league as the top four. Ocon dropping more than half a second a lap to George Russell on 10-lap old tires during the race is a clear indicator that the performance is just not there for the team.
It's hard to deny that things were a bit unfortunate at the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP and a normal weekend would have meant points. Having said that, drawing another zero after Australia is going to hurt as the French team continues to struggle for momentum this season.
