Red Bull drivers hail ‘positive’ and ‘promising’ first day in Baku with Sergio Perez confident of being ‘in the mix’ for pole

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen both expressed optimism after Red Bull appeared to take a step in the right direction with the RB20 on the opening day of practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Red Bull made a dominant start to the 2024 campaign, with Verstappen winning and Perez finishing on the podium at four of the opening five races – leading many to predict another canter to both world titles.

FP2: Leclerc leads Perez and Hamilton during second practice in Azerbaijan

However, a combination of the team battling balance problems with their package following the introduction of updates and rival teams making gains has led to both their constructors’ and drivers’ leads being reduced.

On the constructors’ front, Red Bull are now just eight points clear of McLaren following a particularly damaging Monza weekend, while Verstappen – who has not won since June’s Spanish Grand Prix – holds a 62-point advantage over Lando Norris.

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 13: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing — Perez placed second on Friday’s timesheets, just 0.006s away from pace-setter Leclerc

As cars hit the track on the streets of Baku, though, there were early signs that Red Bull – who are running an upgrade on their floor this weekend – have potentially turned a corner.

“It was definitely a good, solid day,” said Perez, who finished P2, a mere six-thousandths of a second away from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and has been working hard to find a breakthrough after significant struggles on his side of the garage.

AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from second practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

“We did good progress from FP1 to FP2, so we just have to make sure that we’re able to progress from here. I think we can definitely be in the mix for tomorrow.

“I think we’re heading in the right direction, we’re finding that we can put a little bit more together the car. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s promising what we’ve seen so far.”

Asked if that gives him hope of fighting for pole, the Mexican added: “I think tomorrow anything can happen, really, so we just have to keep our head down and hopefully deliver a great couple of laps. Well, we only need one in Q3!”

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - SEPTEMBER 13: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull — Verstappen wound up sixth in the other Red Bull, half a second off the pace

Verstappen, meanwhile, was around half a second slower than Leclerc, having experienced several lock-ups and off-track excursions but been left with a similarly positive feeling about his and the team’s prospects.

“I think overall a good day,” he commented. “We learned quite a bit. Now it’s just about tidying up the things that we tried. But I think, so far, we have been more competitive this weekend, so that’s a positive.”

As for those moments behind the wheel, he said: “It’s also the track, it’s very slippery, a lot of 90-degree corners, so if you have a tiny lock, sometimes you hold the brake to not hit the wall or whatever, just out of precaution.

“But, for sure, FP2 was a bit more difficult for me, so like I said, we just need to get the balance together a bit more. I’m quite confident that we can be competitive.”