© Vladimir Rys2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Free Practice ReportBulls return to form with a strong day one in Baku
MaxVerstappenandSergioPérezlookedbacktotheirracewinningbestontheopeningdayoftheAzerbaijanGrandPrix.MaxandCheconavigatedseveralredflagsinFreePracticeOnetofinishtopandthirdrespectively,whilstasthesunsetduringthelattersession,ChecofoundhimselfinP2whilstMaxfinishedthedayinsixthplace.
"Overall, I think it has been a good day. We learnt quite a bit and now it is just about tidying up the things that we tried...
First Practice Session: 1:45.546, Position: 1 Laps: 21
Second Practice Session: 1:44.029, Position: 6, Laps: 24
"Overall, I think it has been a good day. We learnt quite a bit and now it is just about tidying up the things that we tried, but I think so far we have been more competitive this weekend so that’s positive. There has been a lot of work in the background and it has been positive. For sure FP2 was a bit more difficult for me. I had some issues with my visor, when the sun comes down in between the buildings you have some glaring moments and I struggled with the visibility. The track is also quite slippery and has a lot of 90 degree corners so I just need to get the balance together a bit more, however I’m quite confident that we can be more competitive."
We are heading in the right direction with the car, we are finding we can put it together a little bit better...
First Practice Session: 1:45.922, Position: 3, Laps: 17
Second Practice Session: 1:43.490, Position: 2, Laps: 23
"It was definitely a good solid day, I think there is a good base there for us to build from. We made a good step from FP1 to FP2 and now we just need to make sure we are able to progress from here, then we can definitely be in the mix for tomorrow. We are heading in the right direction with the car, we are finding we can put it together a little bit better, there is still a long way to go but it is promising what we have seen so far this weekend. I think anything can happen in qualifying, we just need to keep our head down and deliver a great couple of laps and one great lap in Q3!"
In a red flag-packed first session, the Bulls were back to their best with Max topping the timesheet, and street circuit specialist Sergio finishing in third.
The Bulls arrived in Baku with several upgrades to their RB20s including a new floor and a new rear beam wing, which instantly made an impression.
Max left the garage first on a set of soft tyres, which for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be the C5 – the softest in Pirelli’s range. He just scrubbed them in before returning to the pits.
Checo headed out on the medium tyre to begin his weekend. Checo set two push laps, the fastest being 1:49.077, placing him P6 at that point.
After scrubbing in his softs Max came in and swapped them for mediums. He was also set two push laps, his fasted of 1:47.214 which placed him top.
Before the pair could push again the red flags were waved for the first time due to debris on the track at turn 12.
When the track reopened Max returned on the same mediums, the Baku circuit’s evolution is quick and with every lap the drivers saw an improvement as the tarmac rubbers-in. Max completed two more fast laps, the quickest being 1:46.638, placing him P2, just 0.030s behind Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc’s session ended soon after when the Ferrari driver hit the brakes too late on the run into turn 15 and put his car into the barrier causing the red flags to be waved for the second time in the session.
Once the Ferrari had been removed from the track, Checo left the garage on soft tyres, whilst Max came out once again on the mediums looking for some high fuel laps.
Checo set a time of 1:466.586, placing him in P1 at that point. Before Max could complete another lap, the red flags were out again, this time for Williams driver Franco Colapinto who lost the rear end coming into turn four and colliding heavily with the wall.
With just nine minutes remaining the session resumed and Max emerged from the garage on the softs he’d scrubbed at the start of the session, whilst Checo returned with the same softs.
The Team put in two final push laps before the chequered flag. Checo’s fastest time was 1:45.992, placing him in P3, behind Max in P2 and Lewis Hamilton in P1 at that point. Max was still to go, and his final lap was a blistering 1:45.546 which eclipsed Hamilton by 0.313s, pushing the Mercedes driver into second and Max claiming the top spot for himself.
The Bulls finished the day strongly with Checo missing out on the top spot by just 0.006s to Charles Leclerc, whilst Max finished P6, 0.545s behind the leader.
The Bulls started the latter session exactly the same way as FP1, with Checo heading out on the mediums, whilst Max scrubbed in a set of the red-walled soft tyres before swapping for the yellow mediums.
Max completed two flying laps on the mediums, the fastest of which was 1:45.052, placing him P2 at that moment, he went for a third, but missed-timed his braking point and stopped just short of the barriers at turn six, with the lap compromised he returned to the pits.
Checo completed three push laps on his medium tyres, his fastest was 1:44.361, pushing himself into P2.
Max returned to the action on his scrubbed soft tyres for one flying lap. He went purple in the first two sectors but couldn’t improve in sector three, stopping the clock at 1:44.209, which put him in second, 0.079s behind Carlos Sainz.
Checo also completed one qualifying-simulation lap, his time of 1:43.490 placing him top of the timesheet, he was 0.460s quicker than Sainz.
Both Bulls finished the session by completing nine high-fuel, race-simulation laps on their used mediums.
It looked like Checo was going to keep that top spot, but Leclerc outpaced the Mexican by just 0.006s to take P1. Checo had to settle for second, with Lewis Hamilton in third. Max’s final position in Free Practice Two as sixth.
