It’s time for F1’s first sprint race of the 2023 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Max Verstappen looks to further increase his lead atop the Drivers’ Championship standings. The Dutchman, seeking a third title in a row, starts P3 in Baku with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on pole just as he will be for tomorrow’s Grand Prix.
Today’s sprint is the first of the year and the first since rule changes were introduced. Earlier this morning we had the first ever sprint shootout, a shortened format of qualifying for the sprint race, which saw Leclerc come out on top despite crashing.
Leclerc has admitted that Ferrari “need to be realistic” about the rest of the weekend because they are “on the back foot in the race compared to the Red Bull”. That is despite their single-lap pace giving the Monegasque pole yesterday and today, for both the Grand Prix and the 17-lap, 64-mile (100km) sprint which is a dash to the finish without pit stops.
Sergio Perez will meanwhile hope to claw back some points as he looks to bridge the gap to team-mate Verstappen in the championship and starts P2, with the Dutchman one behind. George Russell is P4 in the Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton starting sixth, the pair sandwiched by the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
Express Sport provides live coverage of the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix sprint race below…
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