BAKU – Sergio Perez has fond reminiscences of final yr’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix and this weekend the Mexican finds himself returning to the quick and livid streets of Baku as a viable contender for the world championship.
‘Checo’ arrives on the Caspian Sea shoreline contemporary from his Monaco triumph and with the ink barely dry on a two-year extension to his Crimson Bull contract.
Monaco, following three second-place finishes, lifted Mexico’s most profitable F1 driver to inside 15 factors of his world champion teammate Max Verstappen.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is just six factors in entrance of Perez heading into this eighth spherical of the 22-race season which welcomes again followers for the primary time for the reason that Covid pandemic.
“He is on this championship simply as a lot as Max is,” Crimson Bull boss Christian Horner said within the aftermath of Perez’s third profession win after Azerbaijan in 2021 and in Bahrain the season earlier than.
Perez was helped in Monaco by his crew’s pit cease prowess with Ferrari bungling theirs however Horner warned the Italian constructor’s sooner automotive will probably be laborious to cease “over the approaching races”.
Baku has a fame for serving up the sudden, with automobiles hurtling down the Neftchilar Avenue, the longest straight on the calendar, at 350kmh, earlier than snaking by the sinuous outdated city framed by Baku’s medieval metropolis partitions.
It is unpredictable nature is borne out by the outcomes, with a unique driver successful every version since Nico Rosberg received the primary Grand Prix held there, the European, in 2016.
Verstappen readily concedes it isn’t certainly one of his favorite weekend locations after final yr’s dramatic tyre blow out with the chequered flag his for the taking persevering with his sorry sequence of by no means making the rostrum.
The Dutchman needed to accept third in Monaco however nonetheless got here away happy at extending his title lead over Leclerc, who judged his residence race as “a freaking catastrophe” after ranging from pole to complete fourth.
The person from Monaco has seen the title momentum he established with wins in Bahrain and Australia disappear with Crimson Bull on a five-timer after annexing the final 4 races.
– Dominating –
“Every little thing went in opposition to us…we’ll come again stronger,” stated Leclerc, that sentiment echoed by his crew boss.
“We’re fairly conscious: being aggressive is a truth; successful is one other process and it is one other stage of problem. And I feel as a crew we’re nonetheless progressing, studying, and perhaps it should take some extra time,” stated Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto.
Whereas Crimson Bull and Ferrari are dominating the early season limelight Mercedes have struggled to unleash the complete potential of their automotive.
Upgrades in Barcelona final month appeared encouraging as Toto Wolff’s beneath stress crew sought to iron out the ‘bouncing’ that has bedevilled their efficiency.
The Silver Arrows’ undoubted velocity ought to make deposed seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and his astute new teammate George Russell a power to be reckoned with in qualifying.
However it’s maybe wishful considering to counsel they’re ready so as to add to their three wins from the 5 races held right here on Sunday simply but.
Apart from Perez final yr the opposite that escaped the mighty German producer was in 2017, when Daniel Ricciardo received for Crimson Bull from 10th on the grid.
The Australian’s trademark smile has been examined this time period as he struggles to make a mark in his McLaren, accumulating solely 11 factors to 48 for his teammate Lando Norris.
At Monaco he kind of agreed with crew boss Zak Brown that thus far his transfer to the crew had failed to satisfy expectations.
“Nobody’s going to be tougher on me than myself,” he stated.
“I do know that I do not wish to be racing round in 10th, 12th locations.
“I nonetheless consider I could be on the entrance and belong on the entrance, so it has been just a little bit extra, definitely, testing at instances, when it comes to us attempting to rise up there and maximise myself on this automotive.
