F1 Azerbaijan GP: “Fast and Furious,” Sergio Perez sarcastically hails Baku Sprint Shootout

Sergio Perez starts the Sprint race in second spot ahead of his teammate Max Verstappen

Sergio Perez, Baku press conference (Credits: Marca)

The F1 Azerbaijan GP witnessed an exciting start to the weekend with the debut of the sprint format. The Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had divergent opinions about the new format after qualifying second and third on the grid, respectively, behind Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, with Sergio being a little jocular about it.

When asked about their views on the new weekend format, the Red Bull drivers had opposing views. While Verstappen had a less enthusiastic response to the format, Sergio Perez called it “fast and furious”. He predicted that “it won’t be long before they put a ring on the middle of the track and put all the drivers together to fight.”

The revised sprint format reduced the number of free practice sessions while dedicating a full Saturday to the sprint and its own qualification. On the track, the drivers ran full throttle, posting one fast lap after another. The Mexican driver was alluding to the sprint race’s frantic and chaotic atmosphere, in which drivers wasted no time and continued posting their timings on the board in fear of a red flag.

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Mx Verstappen, Baku press conference — Max Verstappen, Baku press conference (Credits: The Sports Rush)

Speaking about the race, Max Verstappen commented that “With this heat, and how the tyres are behaving, I think it’s not going to be a straightforward Sprint. Some tracks you can just set off and it’s fine. Here, maybe a bit of tyre management comes into play, so there’s still all to fight for.” The defending champion added, “They [Ferrari] are just a bit stronger than us over one lap, but hopefully this afternoon we are able to close the gap and beat them on race pace. [Victory] will be the target – for this afternoon and also for tomorrow.”

Perez is the most successful driver on Baku’s streets, with three podiums and a victory. Meanwhile, his teammate has had an incredible season, winning two of the first three races, with Perez taking the other win. Still, he failed to mirror it this time, where he messed up his qualifying run on a fresh set of tires and could not improve his performance in the second run.

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Here's all the action from a Sprint Qualifying Sergio Perez described as "fast and furious".https://t.co/VH6nRNvbsV
— Motor Sport magazine (@Motor_Sport) April 29, 2023

The Red Bull teammates have been in a fight for the lead in the championship and are separated by 15 points in the standings. It remains to be seen what the Milton Keynes pairing will do in the coming two races this weekend. As for the new sprint format, it has already brought excitement and unpredictability to the F1 season, and drivers like Sergio Perez are embracing it with open arms.