Sergio Perez finished the first sprint race of the season in P1 ahead of pole-sitter Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen finished third after grappling with Mercedes driver George Russell in the opening lap. Verstappen remains in the lead for the drivers’ championship with 75 points followed by Perez with 62.
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Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have responded to the latest driver market rumor linking Leclerc to Mercedes. Leclerc stated that he is fully committed to Ferrari and winning the World Championship with the team, while Hamilton expressed his desire to continue with Mercedes. Despite this, rumors of Leclerc's potential move to Mercedes persist. However, former-Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur reiterated Leclerc's commitment to Ferrari and the team's focus on building around their drivers.
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Lewis Hamilton blamed Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez for his P6 finish in the newly-introduced sprint shootout at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hamilton suggested that he didn't benefit from a tow on his final run as the Red Bulls pulled too far ahead. Charles Leclerc secured pole position for the sprint race, while Verstappen lost control of his Red Bull on the exit of turn five and six on his first run, which cost him valuable lap time. Drivers are not allowed to switch their tires between runs in SQ3, which cost Verstappen a chance to battle with the frontrunners.
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Alpine, McLaren, and Ferrari introduced new power unit components ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix's Sprint Day. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz received a new Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K), while McLaren's Lando Norris received a new ES and CE. Gasly replaced his damaged parts and took a new gearbox, making it his third. With four permitted for the entire season, Gasly will likely incur penalties later. In the Sprint Shootout session, Gasly fell at SQ1 after pitting with a suspected exhaust issue.
Click here to read the full article by Luke Murphy (racingnews365.com).
AlphaTauri Team Principal Franz Tost has explained the team's decision to announce his departure and the appointment of Ferrari's Sporting Director Laurent Mekies as his successor. Tost said he made the decision to depart two years ago and that his replacement and new CEO, Peter Bayer, were "fantastic" choices. Tost admitted the announcement was planned for later in the year but was brought forward due to media leaks. He plans to take on a consultancy role at AlphaTauri but will "step back" as soon as possible and let Mekies take the lead.
Click here to read the full article by Michelle Foster (planetf1.com).
