“It would have been incredible to get that one-two for the team” – Sergio Perez drove an impeccable race in a crazy Sunday at Baku, but saw his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen crash out.
In what was arguably the best race of the season, both the championship leaders were left without a point. While Max Verstappen saw his rear-left tyre fail, Lewis Hamilton suffered a brake-related issue in the race restart caused by the former’s crash and subsequent Red Flag.
Sergio Perez was the beneficiary of the late chaos, as he comfortably crossed the chequered flag to win his second Formula 1 race, and first for Red Bull. The Mexican is third in the standings now, with Red Bull enjoying a comfortable lead over Mercedes, with Valtteri Bottas missing out on points too.
Sergio Perez was brought in this season by Red Bull in place of Alex Albon in their quest to beat Mercedes. This required the Mexican to be a strong ally of Verstappen. But he has gone a step further here, silencing his doubters in the process.
Riding the emotional rollercoaster! 🎢 Race Results 👉 P1 Checo 🏆, VET, P3 Pierre 🏆, LEC, NOR, ALO, P7 Yuki 💪, SAI, RIC, RAI – DNF Max 😔🇦🇿 #PoweredByHonda pic.twitter.com/GmnnGekfwA
— Honda Racing F1 (@HondaRacingF1) June 6, 2021
Sergio Perez wins Azerbaijan GP
Perez was evidently ecstatic, wishing Verstappen won the race though, in what would have been a one-two for Red Bull. The team had a clean sweep on the podium though, with their greatest driver Sebastian Vettel P2 in his Aston Martin, and junior team AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly in P3.
“Normally Baku is pretty crazy. I have to say sorry to Max, it would have been incredible to get that one-two for the team.
“But at the end, it was a fantastic day for us. We were close to retiring the car but luckily we managed to finish the race. This is definitely a strong boost of confidence for myself.”
