Perez attempts coup on Verstappen, Leclerc from 9, Russell and Mekies from 4 badly – Corriere.it

A message arrives from the shores of the Caspian Sea: the 2023 World Cup may not be the comfortable home of those who already reign (Max Verstappen). There could be a coup and as history teaches the most effective coups are those that take place in the family. In short: Sergio Perez will really be able to attack the Flying Dutchman for the title? Meanwhile Checo became the first rider to win twice in Baku (twice and a half, he joked, also recalling his success in the sprint race on Saturday the 29th) and shortened the gap. More to come, say the British. This is also true on the Ferrari front, which seems to have fixed a few things and which with Leclerc, already second in the sprint, achieved its first podium in a traditional GP. On with the Azerbaijani report cards.

Sergio Perez: 10 cum laude

In Baku, it’s up to him to vote that normally belongs to Verstappen. The safety car gave him a big hand (Verstappen had returned before his exit to make a pit stop, he stayed out and was able to benefit from a more advantageous stop), but Checo also put his own into it. Determined, mean and relentless in taking command of operations both on Saturday and Sunday, he confirmed his aptitude for street circuits: fifth victory out of six in his career. But above all he seems to no longer want to accept the role of squire to the captain: we are waiting for confirmations, but perhaps Red Bull has also understood this (see dedicated entry).

Charles Leclerc: 9

Perhaps it deserves a more generous vote than the verdict of the track for the amount of things that Carlo from Montecarlo expressed over the weekend, starting from the two pole positions (the one in the main GP was missing for 210 days and from the Singapore GP in October 2022) and reaching two podiums (second in the sprint, third in the complete race). After at least confused days in the team, an answer was also needed from those who drive: Leclerc has not missed the appeal and can look to the future with greater serenity even if he cannot but admit that these days Red Bull is competing in another planet. He experienced it on his skin: in a single bite that ended up first in Verstappen’s belly and then in Perez’s.

Max Verstappen: 8.5

On the horizon, as mentioned, there seems to be a looming if not an enemy (it would be more like a driver from another team) certainly an adversary. He has his own car and has laid his cards on the table: Max will then have to adjust. Surprised by the internal struggle looming? Maybe, but let’s imagine that now his brain and his competitive spirit are already working out the countermeasures. This time he was screwed by the safety car and also for this reason he discovered he didn’t have enough to catch Perez (in the Saturday race, remember, he was then damaged by Russell), but he tried until the end. He certainly won’t sleep wet and in the meantime he takes the podium number 81 of a predestined career.

Red Bulls: 8

A machine that remains a graduate with honors must in any case be combined with a team that knows how to manage the scenarios. Even the Red Bull system has sometimes messed up, but in Baku 2023, mindful of what happened in the past, it prevented any risk by bringing Verstappen back (who took the lead with his overtaking on Leclerc) which Perez now had in his sights. The safety car coming out due to De Vries’ mistake eventually penalized Max and this will be a cause for regret for the men in blue. But their primary objective was to avoid a possible fire in the bud.

Fernando Alonso: 8

For the first time in the season – we’re talking about complete GPs – he gets off the podium, but his mastiff face is always pissed off in other people’s mirrors. And when his Aston Martin doesn’t arrive, an excellent car but with some deficits on a circuit like this, he takes care of it: that’s it the bite to poor Sainzwho rightly had Nando’s poster in his bedroom as a boy.

Ferraris: 7/8

Given the premises of the days that preceded the approach to the Azerbaijan GP, ​​given the runaway climate that has been breathing (and materializing) for a few weeks, Leclerc’s two poles and two podiums in Baku are godsend. Signals were needed especially on the SF-23 front and something was seen: the car confirmed that it has the makings and that it is fast (the two qualifying sessions in first place prove it), but it needs to be fixed on the tire management front during the GP . Furthermore, the single-seater seems to work better when lighter. From Miami all the way to Barcelona updates are on the way: if they work, the Reds could write a different story from the one experienced up to now in a World Championship that still remains complicated and below expectations.

Lewis Hamilton: 7

It is tender to hear him beg the team to give him more power in the mappings to attack Sainz not for the victory – the goal he was used to in the golden seasons of Mercedes – but for fifth place. The arrows (already silver) in his bow seem dull. But Lewis never gives up and just to please, at least on the occasion, he put things right with Russell in the team.

Carlos Sainz: 6/7

A slightly larger vote because he was able to resist Hamilton’s attack which reached his rear, only to not find the winning cue. But he admitted that he could not understand the SF-23 as well as Leclerc: in trouble from day one, he will now have to recover vigorously if he wants to maintain certain ambitions within the team.

Yuki Tsunoda: 6/7

The Japanese is still tenth and again the author of a more than discreet performance. Given the inconsistency of De Vries, the disappointing Alpha Tauri more than ever clinging to the young samurai.

Lance Stroll: 6

He survives a potentially serious mistake (a hard touch in the guards) to also bring the second Aston Martin into the points: he hoped to pick up more, but he also risked being left empty-handed.

McLarens: 5.5

After bringing both cars into the top 10 in qualifying for the first time this year, he only managed a ninth place with Norris. In short, the road to the ascent was long and impervious.

George Russell: 5

After being caught on Saturday by the head of c… from Verstappen, he ended a bad week with an anonymous GP. He has to make a move: Hamilton shares have risen on the Mercedes stock market and his have been reduced.

Mercedes: 5

The team that dominated remains on the defensive: the W14 is still a puzzle and the work done in free practice did not help to solve it. The chronicles say that the dt James Allison on the grid he took a look at all the single-seaters lined up. Question: are there any ideas for improvement?

Alpha Tauri (and Laurent Mekies): 4

But can you announce the new team principal – who is playing a crucial role at Ferrari – without agreeing a communication strategy with the team that employs the person in question? Of course, the same applies to the person directly concerned, Laurent Mekies: bad figure, in our opinion.

Alpine and Alfa Romeo: 4

Here are two teams that just don’t mesh. the serial flop of the French is more serious (with an operational base in Enstone, Oxfordshire, where Flavio Briatore built successes first with Benetton and then with Renault F1), but even Alfa is no joke: and if Zhou was betrayed from a machine breakdown, Valtteri Bottas, who entered zero mode at quota for a while, has always been last or a little more. The team from Hinwil, formerly Sauber and Audi since 2026, is in free fall.

People in pit lane: 0

Esteban Ocon on lap 50 he had to pit because he hadn’t pitted yet, but there were those who didn’t expect it. So people were pouring into the pit lane that someone would have to contain. The Frenchman risked overwhelming the group and injuring or killing someone. An enormous risk, which we will have to reflect on.