presented by
2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1931 1930 1929 1927 1925 1923 1922 1921 1914 1913 1912
Azerbaijan GP
Bahrain GP Saudi Arabian GP Australian GP
Azerbaijan GP
Miami GP Emilia Romagna GP Monaco GP Spanish GP Canadian GP Austrian GP British GP Hungarian GP Belgian GP Dutch GP Italian GP Singapore GP Japanese GP Qatar GP United States GP Mexico City GP Brazilian GP Las Vegas GP Abu Dhabi GP
2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP
Apr 27, 2023 to Apr 30, 2023
| Baku City Circuit, AZ
Overview Live Commentary Results News Videos
Live text
Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP
F1 Azerbaijan GP Live Commentary and Updates – Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Live
Chat
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
-
Summary
- Sergio Perez won F1's 2023 Azerbaijan GP, becoming the first driver to take two victories in Baku. He was joined by Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc on the podium
- Leclerc kept the lead from pole at the start, followed by Verstappen, Perez and Sainz
- Verstappen overtook Leclerc at the end of lap 3 with a DRS-assisted move. Perez followed through a couple of laps later
- De Vries stopped on track on lap 11, with the safety car neutralising the race. Verstappen lost out to Perez and Leclerc but quickly fought back to second
-
Leaderboard
- Perez, Red Bull
- Verstappen, Red Bull
- Leclerc, Ferrari
- Alonso, Aston Martin
- Sainz, Ferrari
- Hamilton, Mercedes
- Stroll, Aston Martin
- Russell, Mercedes
- Norris, McLaren
- Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
View more Show Less
Live Text
Sort by Oldest first Newest first
Checkered flag
09:06:12 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
It's a two-Bull title race after four rounds, but it is set up very nicely. Next up is Miami on 5-7 May, just a few days away. Until then, have a lovely rest of your Sunday. Go well!
09:03:51 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
So, after all that, Verstappen retains his F1 world drivers' championship lead on 93 points with Perez six points behind. Then it is Alonso in third, 23 points off Verstappen.
Breaking news
08:59:18 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Here's the full race report:
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
08:57:38 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The podium trio get busy with the fizzy, Perez getting a face full from Verstappen. That's probably the only thing that's gone wrong for the Mexican in the last 24 hours!
08:54:36 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
08:54:09 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Mexican anthem plays on the podium for Perez's win, as he beats his chest with his fist. That one meant a lot.
08:52:10 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
We have a feeling this will be the biggest talking point post-race...
08:51:19 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Leclerc takes the middle winners' seat in the cooldown room, but when Perez arrives he offers to move over, but the Mexican declines. "You were unlucky there [with the safety car]," Perez says to Verstappen on the safety car timing.
Quote
08:48:30 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Perez on his grand prix win: "It really worked out today for us. We managed to stay in the DRS, kept the pressure on Max, it was looking good already and then the safety car came and bunched everyone up."
Quote
08:47:10 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen on second place: "The safety car [timing] was unlucky and then I had to push to stay close and stay in the DRS and then the tyres overheated when trying to follow. The balance also, I was struggling to be consistent."
Quote
08:45:03 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Leclerc on losing out to the Red Bulls: "They are in another league when it comes to the race. The good first lap managed to put us in front but then over 51 laps it was not possible, they have so much more pace than we do."
08:43:11 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
A sprint win and a grand prix win for Perez - not a bad weekend all told!
08:42:42 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Perez leaps into the arms of his Red Bull mechanics to celebrate the sixth F1 grand prix win of his career. He's also the first repeat winner in Azerbaijan!
08:40:25 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Norris and Tsunoda round out the points places, as Ocon's last-lap pitstop sees him finish 15th, even if he almost took some photographers for a ride on his car for the final lap.
08:39:06 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Leclerc keeps clear of Alonso to complete the podium by 0.8s. Sainz takes fifth ahead of Hamilton and Stroll. Russell, in eighth, also bags the fastest lap bonus point thanks to his late soft tyre switch.
Checkered flag
08:37:15 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Perez wins the Azerbaijan Grand Prix! It is a Red Bull 1-2 with Verstappen in second!
Pit stop
08:37:12 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
And so Ocon now stops on the final lap, his wait for a safety car ultimately proving unsuccessful. But it's not a simple entrance to the pits as he has to dodge the gathering photographers getting ready for the post-race parc ferme images.
08:36:11 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Final lap time, Perez leads by 2.5s, so that could be that.
Pit stop
08:35:47 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
And, finally Hulkenberg does now pit to discard those well-worn hards. But he has now fallen back to a lowly 17th place and it wasn't exactly the fastest stop either.
08:34:40 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
It is the fight for the fastest lap, as all of the top six set their personal bests last time around. Alonso holds it, but Russell is pitting for softs...
Yellow flag
08:34:28 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
There was a brief scare for Russell there as he closed on the back of Stroll. He locked up and went very deep into Turn 1 but keeps it out of the wall.
08:33:52 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Albon and Magnussen are the next ones to blast past Hulkenberg as he tumbles down the order.
Stopwatch
08:33:06 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Not for long, as Alonso sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1m44.541s to close to 2.7s off Leclerc.
Stopwatch
08:32:14 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen shaves Perez's lead to just under three seconds, as he sets a new fastest lap of 1m44.566s to take back that fastest lap bonus point.
08:32:10 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Piastri is now the latest to pass the ailing Hulkenberg. This strategy gamble isn't really paying off for the Haas man.
08:31:16 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
There are going to be some frustrated drivers at the end of this race, either having been stuck behind a rival without the chance to pass or waiting for a safety car to shake up the strategy.
Quote
08:30:29 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
"I think we need to pit, the tyres are really bad," says Hulkenberg, who is still yet to stop.
08:30:05 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Tsunoda does get ahead this time as he blasts past Hulkenberg on the pit straight and into 11th place.
08:28:53 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Tsunoda doesn't quite follow Norris ahead into Turn 1 - but the AlphaTauri is still on for a points finish when Ocon and Hulkenberg stop.
08:27:56 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Wow, we are being treated, another overtake! Norris has now finally got by the struggling Hulkenberg and is up into 10th. Hulkenberg was slightly wide at Turn 7 and Norris got the better exit.
08:27:29 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Perez, barring disaster, looks to have this one in his hands. The gap is 3.7s over Verstappen with five laps to go. Further back, Leclerc is third with a 3.4s gap on Alonso.
08:24:59 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hulkenberg is clearly struggling on his ancient tyres and has now clonked the wall at Turn 15 again. But, as with his earlier strike, no major damage is done - although he's fall adrift from Ocon in ninth.
Stopwatch
08:24:01 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Leclerc is tracking the pace of Alonso behind him, as he posts a new fastest lap of the race of anyone with a 1m44.670s.
08:24:00 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
It was down the pit straight and around the outside into Turn 1 that Gasly swept by the Williams in that moment of excitement.
08:23:23 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Now we have a genuine overtake! Gasly has passed Sargeant for that all-important 16th spot!
08:22:14 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
An overtake! OK, it was Perez lapping last-placed Bottas, but it still counts, right?
08:22:07 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Ocon and Hulkenberg are seemingly leaving as late as they can before pitting, just in case a safety car creeps into play. But, when they do eventually stop, they're going to plummet down to very nearly last place.
08:20:16 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
With 10 laps to go Verstappen has trimmed Perez's lead back to 2.9s. Game on?
08:19:20 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
But Hamilton's Mercedes just doesn't have the straightline grunt to get alongside the Ferrari, so he remains stuck behind in sixth.
08:18:11 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hamilton is as close to Sainz as he has been all race in the fight for fifth place, with just half a second between the two.
Pagination
1
2
3
...
4
By: Autosport Staff
Published: Apr 30, 2023, 1:06 PM
Lap:
Copy link
Share on Viber