29/04/2023
NEWS STORY
Sergio Perez: "It was key to make sure we had good pace, good rhythm and that we pushed in the key moments of the race, that really made the difference today. I had to push quite hard initially to get past Charles, especially at the restart because on the first lap I could see he had good pace and very good mechanical grip. Later on, I was able to make the move early enough and that to me was important. In the end I think it was a really nicely executed race and it's been a great weekend from the whole Team so far. I am really proud of my Team because we have come back from a four week gap and then straight into a new format. We have done a tremendous job but tomorrow is what matters and we must focus on that now. I am confident I will be fighting for the win tomorrow but let's see, it is Baku and anything can happen! I just have to make sure I deliver when it happens."
Max Verstappen: "It was a bit of a messy first lap and then with the damage I think it was a bit tricky to pull forward throughout the rest of the Sprint. I think overall third was fine, and to manage the damage that we had, we did alright. I need to look into the data to see how much the damage affected the race today, but it's never ideal to have a hole in the car. Looking ahead to tomorrow, we have a good race car, you could see that today with Checo's performance. I think the most important thing tomorrow is to stay out of trouble and I think we can go for the win."
Christian Horner: "Hard racing today. There was unfortunately some contact which resulted in quite a bit of damage to the side pod and that cost Max in performance. Tomorrow is what it is about though. Max starts on the front row and with a very good chance. Hes a very competitive driver and will come back strong tomorrow afternoon. By contrast, Checo had a much better race. He didn't put a foot wrong. He was sensible on the first lap and wanted to get the job done quickly so he could focus on managing the tyres. He had a blinding middle sector on the second lap, made the pass and was able to eek out a gap. Then once he broke Charles's DRS he was able to bring it home from there. Fantastic driving and a well deserved win."
Check out our Saturday gallery from Baku here.