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It has recently been reported that reigning world champions, Red Bull, urged F1 and FIA the most to introduce the new sprint format for the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP. The Austrian-British team dominated both the sprint and the main race in Baku and locked up the front-row finish.
According to AMuS, Red Bull wanted the FIA to change the sprint format in Baku. The reason given was that it would help them limit training times as they have better simulation resources and also lowers the risk of mistakes by driving on mandatory tyre compounds.
Though Red Bull team boss Christian Horner openly spoke about how dangerous it was to host a sprint race weekend in Baku, AMuS speculates that his team could have been the biggest advocate for making the changes to the format and adding another qualifying session specifically for the sprint.
Neither of the Red Bull drivers was able to stick it on pole position in both qualifying sessions. However, they easily breezed past Charles Leclerc in the main race since Ferrari were nowhere when it came to having a good race pace.
After the overtake on the Monagasque, it was only a battle between the two Red Bull cars. Eventually, Sergio Perez was victorious, winning both the sprint and main races.
Red Bull team boss confused to see Mercedes and Ferrari struggling
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner took a dig at rivals Mercedes and Ferrari after the 2023 F1 Miami GP. The Austrian-British team's dominanCe in 2023 has left Horner surprised, seeing how far other teams are in terms of performance.
Speaking to the Sky Sports F1 crew after the race, he initially stated that his team had never had this kind of start to a season. He was wondering where the other top teams like Mercedes and Ferrari were and why they haven't given his team a fair fight.
Christian Horner said:
"Five races, five wins plus the Sprint, four 1-2 finishes – we’ve never ever had a start like this and we’re kind of wondering: ‘Where are the others?' We’ve made a normal step, or what we thought, over the winter, and I think it’s more where did Ferrari and Mercedes go?"
After taking an indirect jibe at his rivals, Horner stated that the other teams must be working hard on bringing big upgrades to their cars in the coming race weekends. He is simply focused on maintaining the gap his team has created since the start of the season. He concluded:
"So I’m sure they are working hard on big upgrades for Europe and, with the penalty we have to develop the car later in the year, it’s important for us to get as much fresh air as we can between ourselves in the opposition at this stage.”
The Austrian-British outfit are currently leading the constructors' championship with 224 points, miles ahead of any other top team on the grid.
