Round 4-F1 GFT AI Driver Rankings: Red Bull dominates Azerbaijan GP Perez wins/Verstappen holds P1

4 May 2023
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN- After the first Sprint format weekend of the 2023 F1 season, Red Bull remains the dominant team. Sergio Perez wins the Azerbaijan GP and World Champion Max Verstappen finished P2 as Red Bull owns all wins so far in 2023- Verstappen with 2 and Perez with 2. Verstappen retains the top ranking with a 6 point lead in F1 Driver points, more laps led, as well as our other data points on speed, overtakes, 5 lap and 10 lap average, etc.

Formula 1 GFT AI Driver Rankings after Round 4— Azerbaijan GP (Image: GFT Digital / gofullthrottle.net)

In the Sprint race on Saturday, it was Sergio Perez taking the win, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari P2, and Max Verstappen P3, George Russell brought home his Mercedes P4. The bad news for Mercedes, Russell's P4 was over 8 seconds off the winner Perez. Even more concerning for Mercedes was Hamilton finishing 17 seconds back in P7. Neither car was competitive after the first 5 laps with no ability to hold the pace and top end speed of Red Bull or Ferrari.

Sergio Perez doubled up on the streets of Baku by adding to his Sprint race triumph with victory in Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, leading Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen (Image: formula1.com)

WHAT WILL MERECEDES DO TO FIX THIS?
In Sunday’s Azerbaijan GP, the gap to Red Bull will illustrated far more than the 17 lap Sprint race on Saturday. The GP was 51 laps and in the end Hamilton finished P6 over 46 seconds off the winner Perez and Russell finished P8, 1 minute and 14 seconds behind. Mercedes fans took to F1 Twitter to express the ongoing concern and rage towards Toto Wolff who seems at a loss to explain what Mercedes will do to fix it.

The start of Sunday’s Azerbaijan GP in Baku (Image: formula1.com)