Red Bull’s Sergio Perez has bolstered his reputation as the Formula 1 grid’s street circuit specialist, with two victories in Baku.
Perez dominated the weekend, showing that he has the capability to take the chequered flag regardless of starting position when the circumstances suit him.
The Mexican began the Sprint race in P2, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and the Grand Prix in P3, behind his teammate Max Verstappen and pole sitter Leclerc.
The victory in the Sprint race was somewhat clouded by an early incident between the Mercedes of George Russell and Verstappen, with the Dutchman believing the damage he incurred cost him the chance to fight for victory.
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However, the collision was deemed to be a fair incident, with stewards not seeking to punish Russell for the contact, meaning it could be argued that Verstappen could have taken evasive action to allow him to fight for a P1 finish later in the race.
Again, in the Grand Prix, some claimed that Perez’s victory was down to a bit of luck, with the timing of a safety car helping Perez keep the lead.
However, it became clear during Sunday’s race that he had control, building a big enough lead over Verstappen to deny his teammate the benefits of DRS.
Verstappen was clearly disappointed with the result, as he leaves Azerbaijan without a victory, former Formula 1 world champion Damon Hill argued that the Dutchman’s concern was less about his finishing position and more about the success of his closest title rival.
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“The real issue is that Max was beaten by his teammate and championship rival Sergio Perez,” Hill said.
“More than anything, that’s going to be the thing Max is not happy about.”
Leaving Azerbaijan, the gap between Verstappen and Perez in the Drivers’ Standings is now down to just 6 points, putting the pressure on the Dutchman if he wants to secure a third world championship.