Sergio Perez says Azerbaijan is the WRONG race for FIA rule change

checo perez, arabia — Photo: © LAT Images

Sergio Perez

Perez says Azerbaijan is the WRONG race for FIA rule change

Sergio Perez is targeting a third podium of the season in Baku but is not happy with the new format

Amar Mehta

Friday 28 April 2023 20:55 Updated: 21:41

Sergio Perez thinks fans might ‘get a little confused’ but says he will remain open-minded about the new Sprint format.

After changes were approved ahead of Baku, the new format means Saturday’s shorter race will no longer set the grid for the Sunday.

This positions were instead decided during Friday’s qualifying session and a separate, shorter qualifying session – the Spring Shootout – will take place on the second morning.

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This change means FP2 is removed from the schedule and has been introduced to try and improve the entertainment and spectacle of the Spring weekend.

Speaking before the first Practice session in Azerbaijan, Red Bull’s Perez was asked his thoughts on the new format.

“Well, I’m someone very open-minded, let’s see what it brings for the fans mostly, though I think they get a little confused with it; I also think this is not the best race to use it, as Baku is always a thrilling race,” he told Fox Sports.

Perez aims for more success in Baku

After three races, Perez is within touching distance of team-mate and early pace setter, Max Verstappen. He has two podiums so far and finished first in Saudi Arabia, leaving him 15 points behind the Dutchman.

With plenty of points on offer, Perez will go into Baku with confidence, and it is a track that has proved successful for the Mexican.

He has finished on the podium three times and won his second Grand Prix in Azerbaijan in 2021.

Perez tends to perform well in street races and said: “It’s a circuit that suits me well, no matter what car I drive this past few years, always with good results and competitive.

“I don’t expect that to change and hope for us to be competitive. It’s a very important weekend because there’s a lot of points available, and we must maximize our effort to take the most home.

“It will be important to start competitive from the first session, but there will be a long road to go still.”