Peter Windsor explains why Sergio Perez is ‘really good’ at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix every year

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Sergio Perez out-qualified Max Verstappen for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after showing great pace around the Baku street circuit all weekend.

The Mexican will start the race from fourth on the grid while Max Verstappen is sixth, with his championship rival Lando Norris down in P16 after a shock exit early in the session.

It is a strong result for Sergio Perez having struggled throughout the season to match Verstappen, and the first time he has out-qualified Verstappen in 33 rounds having set a lap time that was two-tenths quicker than his teammate.

Perez’s management has reportedly been helping him with his confidence in the last few races, after speculation that he could lose his Red Bull seat before the end of the season.

He is the most successful driver around Baku having won the race twice in his career. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Peter Windsor has identified why Perez has such a successful track record.

Sergio Perez’s driving style suits Baku street circuit

Perez was left rueing a mistake in the second sector during his Q3 lap having felt that a front-row start was on the cards.

The Mexican has won the race in the last two seasons and remained undefeated against Verstappen at the track, while he also took two podiums when racing for Force India.

Windsor has identified his driving style as the main reason why he has been so successful at the circuit.

“The reason he is so good at Baku is because of the 90-degree corners in sector one. Those are tailor-made for Sergio Perez, he’s really good from apex to exit but it’s even before the apex for him,” said Windsor.

“He just gets the car perfectly setup before the apex, wide entry, and he’s so good in the way that he puts down the power.”

Red Bull introduces new aggressive floor at Baku

Red Bull has introduced a new aggressive floor design in a bid to regain its form before the summer break, having endured a tricky last few races.

Verstappen made setup changes to his car overnight between practice and qualifying and it appeared to make things worse, while Perez is confident that he can challenge those ahead of him.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Azerbaijan Grand Prix including Verstappen vs Ricciardo

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starts from pole alongside McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, with Verstappen hopeful that he can progress and extend his championship lead over Norris.

Red Bull will also be hopeful that Norris does not progress too much into the points, given they are only eight points ahead of McLaren and face getting overtaken in the Constructors’ Championship.