--- title: "Perez Holds Off Verstappen to Win F1 Azerbaijan GP" description: "Red Bull's Sergio Perez held off his teammate, reigning champ Max Verstappen, to win the F1 Azerbaijan grand prix." date: "2023-04-30" modified: "2023-04-30" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/perez-holds-off-verstappen-to-win-f1-azerbaijan-gp" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Perez Holds Off Verstappen to Win F1 Azerbaijan GP ![]() *Photo | Getty Images* The 2023 [Formula 1 ]()Azerbaijan grand prix was certainly a race. I saw it, they were racing. The cars went vroom vroom and everything. Unfortunately, it was an uneventful one. The Azerbaijan GP perfectly encapsulated the issue with F1 this season for everyone that isn't a [Red Bull]() fan. Watching a 1-2 Red Bull finish every week isn't exactly thrilling, especially when they have double-digit leads before the halfway point. However, if there was something interesting to take away from the race in Baku, it's that Red Bull's Max Verstappen finally couldn't catch someone—his own teammate, [Sergio Perez](). Despite Ferrari's Charles Leclerc starting in pole position, Verstappen quickly jumped ahead and took the lead within the first five laps. Neither could stop Perez, though, whose pace was quick enough to give him the lead just a few laps later. However, AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries expedited the process by spinning out and causing a yellow flag. During the yellow flag, Verstappen and Leclerc went into the pits but Perez stayed out, handing him the lead he was already on pace to take. ![]() **Photo | Getty Images** After the race, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner called the safety car "unlucky" for Verstappen but that really sells Perez short. While the Safety car did make Perez's life easier, Verstappen had almost 40 laps to overtake his teammate and he just never had the pace. Verstappen did complain about some engine braking issues, which supposedly slowed him down. They didn't slow him down enough to prevent him from pulling a 12 second lead over the third place Leclerc, just enough to stop him from catching his teammate, of course. Regardless of luck or engine braking issues, the fact is that Perez was nearly perfect in Baku. He was consistently faster than Verstappen, and everyone else, and had the pace to take the lead even before the safety car. After his win today, Perez is only six points behind Verstappen in the driver's standings. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()