Perez wins the Baku Grand Prix Sprint Race, repeating the 2022 dynamic of a faster Ferrari on a flying lap and a more consistent Red Bull over the long haul. The Prancing Horse consoles himself with the second pole position out of two over the weekend, achieved above all with very different track conditions, confirming that the competitiveness of the SF-23 on Friday was not the result of chance. The degradation suffered in the Sprint evokes old ghosts, although there is a suspicion that Leclerc has pushed more than necessary.
Red Bull fast and with more load
A few words to spend on Red Bull’s fourth consecutive success, this time signed by Perez which confirms a particular affinity with street circuits. In addition to the usual pace of the RB19, the ease with which the Mexican managed to stay glued to the exhausts of the SF-23 in the guided part of the track is surprising, to then sink the overtaking at the first useful opportunity. Red Bull raced with a more aerodynamic dress than the Red, another indirect advantage of speed on the forehand which invites you to increase the load level without too much fear. Of the 12 laps covered after the Safety Car, Checo hammered constant on the same time with a maximum variability of just 2 tenths, showing off the RB19’s renowned constancy of pace.
Max Verstappen literally limits the damage with third place, after having remedied a gash in the side that recalls the one with which Vettel won his third title in that convulsive Interlagos of 2012. The damaged bodywork certainly didn’t help in terms of load and aerodynamic penetration. but Giampiero Lambiase also spoke on the radio of damage to the fund. Precisely with regard to the messages from the wall, an interesting communication arrived during the morning’s qualifying. In Q3 Verstappen was instructed on his launch lap by keep the charging map up to halfway along the main straight, precisely at the exit from the fast stretch to the right, thus sacrificing something in terms of speed until the first corner. It’s possible that Red Bull realized they had more battery power to rely on during the lap. However, it cannot be excluded that the strategy was necessary to facilitate the subsequent reloading, having to relaunch for a second attempt without going through the pits.
Ferrari with degradation
The SF-23 can look forward to a second consecutive pole position, this time obtained with 50°C on the asphalt against 30°C on Friday afternoon. In the race as expected Ferrari could not compete against the consistency of Red Bull. In the first three races, however, the Reds struggled to find performance outside of qualifying, while on Saturday in Baku, albeit with the anomalies of the Sprint and Perez’s slipstream towing, Leclerc kept pace with the Mexican for three laps. At that point though rubber degradation has become increasingly evident and in the last three laps the Monegasque not only lapped between 1 and 1.5 seconds slower than Checo, but also 4 to 6 tenths faster than Russell’s Mercedes.
Small alarm in view of the race, but the suspicion is that in an attempt to cling to Perez Leclerc’s slipstream he pushed harder than his Ferrari allowed. Almost ten laps one second away from the RB19 also means losing aerodynamic load in the driven, with the result of slipping and overheating even more the tires. The aggressiveness of Leclerc, who although aware of the risk of degradation did not put up too much resistance to Perez, could partly explain a faster than expected tire degradation. However, even with all the necessary precautions, Ferrari would hardly have been able to compete with Red Bull in terms of degradation.
Working margins
Teams and drivers come together now to better prepare for Sunday’s race. Already during the Sprint someone, resigned to a finish outside the points, preferred to make an unscheduled pit stop to collect data on the behavior of a different compound. Also on Saturday Pirelli has raised the inflation pressures even more, bringing them to 26 psi front and 24 psi rear, among the highest values ever. However, one of the main unknowns will be the temperature of the track in the race, given the large variations recorded in recent days as sunset approaches.
LOCAL TIME | ASPHALT TEMPERATURE | |
FP1 | 1.30pm | 44-45°C |
Qualifying on Friday | 17 | 30-35°C |
Qualifying on Saturday | 12.30 | 48-50°C |
Sprint race | 17.30 | 32-37°C |
Grand Prix | 15 | ? |
In terms of set-up, the only parameter that can be modified in parc ferme is the incidence of the front wing flap to correct the aerodynamic balance. However, the pilots can agree with their engineers how take advantage of the adjustments that can be made from the passenger compartment, which minimally influence the balance of the car when cornering: engine braking, input differential, differential during travel, braking migration. Aggressive power delivery also affects rubber wear, as does braking distribution, which minimally determines the heat transferred from the brakes to the front and rear tyres. Small detail works to try to achieve a better result than the Sprint, even if no one will be able to control the crazy variable of the Safety Cars.
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