Sir Lewis Hamilton ended the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in the sixth position as Sergio Perez beat his Red Bull Racing teammate Max Verstappen for his second race win on the streets of Baku.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton began the race in fifth place but dropped down the order after making an early pit stop from a safety car caused by Nyck de Vries.
The 38-year old Mercedes driver gradually made his way up and finished ahead of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in seventh and his Mercedes teammate who George Russell finished in eighth.
Up front, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc started on pole but was easily overtaken by Verstappen and Perez in the opening laps and was not able to close in on them for the rest of the race.
Verstappen’s lead vanished when the Red Bull pit wall opted to bring him in for a pit stop after De Vries’ incident and before the safety car was deployed. This gave Perez a free stop which he used to gain control of the lead and ultimately finished 2.1 seconds clear of his teammate.
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso finished fourth ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. while McLaren’s Lando Norris and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda completed the top 10.
Your points scorers in Baku #AzerbaijanGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/OJxHyaAkuc
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 30, 2023
Hamilton occupies fourth place in the drivers’ championship while Verstappen leads the standings, six points clear of Perez.
Red Bull lead Aston Martin by 93 points in the constructors’ championship while Mercedes are third ahead of Ferrari and McLaren in fourth and fifth respectively.
The next race on the F1 calendar is the Miami Grand Prix in the United States of America next Sunday.
