Azerbaijan GP Sprint: Sergio Perez passes Charles Leclerc to claim Baku victory

Sergio Perez takes victory for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in Baku Sprint; Max Verstappen third after being angered by first-lap collision with George Russell; watch the Azerbaijan GP live on Sky Sports F1 at 12pm on Sunday, with build-up from 10:30am

Sergio Perez passed pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to win the first Sprint of the 2023 season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Having taken pole in F1’s first-ever Sprint Shootout qualifying session earlier on Saturday, Ferrari’s Leclerc, who will also start Sunday’s full-length race on pole, was unable to hold off the pace of Red Bull’s Perez in the 17-lap contest at the Baku City Circuit.

Leclerc narrowly held off the other Red Bull of Max Verstappen for second, after the world championship leader suffered damage following a first-lap collision with Mercedes’ George Russell, who finished fourth.

Carlos Sainz was fifth for Ferrari, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso passed Lewis Hamilton to take sixth at a Safety Car restart caused by Yuki Tsunoda losing a tyre.

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George Russell and Max Verstappen come together at the start of the Sprint, as the Mercedes drive moves up into third

Alonso’s team-mate Lance Stroll took the final point available in eighth after recovering from dropping to 10th on the opening lap.

Red Bull’s apparent long-run advantage suggests Leclerc faces a tough task to keep hold of the first place he earned in the Friday Qualifying session that set the grid for Sunday’s race.

Verstappen will start alongside Leclerc on the front row on Sunday, while Sprint winner Perez will begin in third.

More to follow…