Perez showed in the second training session
Red Bull Racing had the competition under control on the training day before the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan. The best time of the day went to Sergio Perez, who mastered the street circuit in Baku in 1: 42.115 minutes. World Cup leader Max Verstappen was just behind on Friday. Ferrari also presented itself quickly, although Charles Leclerc demolished his front wing in an impact in the afternoon session. Mercedes was behind.
The Dutch World Cup leader Verstappen was +0.101 seconds behind his team-mate from Mexico in the second session. He was the first to finish the first free practice session. The Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Leclerc lined up in third and fourth place. However, on a fast lap in the afternoon, Leclerc misjudged himself and braked too late: the Monegasse drove into the gang frontal.
Mercedes was behind – and at a loss. World champion Lewis Hamilton (+1.041) had to be content with eleventh place, stable rival Valtteri Bottas was even slower. The Finn did not get past 16th place (+2.069). The “Silver Arrows” traveled to Azerbaijan in bad shape, having suffered a heavy defeat at the Monaco Grand Prix two weeks ago. In the victory of Verstappen, who thus took the championship lead, Hamilton was only seventh, Bottas retired after an unsuccessful pit stop.
The discussion about the flexible rear wings of Red Bull and other teams – namely Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Alpine – hangs over the Baku Grand Prix weekend. These have an advantage on the straights due to their lower air resistance, because they can bend at higher speeds. In the curves, the so-called flexi wing returns to its original shape and provides downforce. The technical rules state that all aerodynamic elements must be fixed and immobile.
Many a team announced a protest if Red Bull wanted to bend the rules here – in the truest sense – something in their own favor. A flexible wing could be a significant advantage, especially on the long straights there. The racing team apparently changed their attitudes again. TV pictures on Friday showed that the component no longer changed as much as on earlier recordings.
