08/06/2022
NEWS STORY
Max Verstappen: "I'm looking forward to returning to Baku, we have some unfinished business there after last year. It's a tricky track with big braking zones and a tight run off, finding the best set up for the car will be difficult in terms of making sure we get the correct wing level. It will also be interesting to see if we can make our one lap performance better for qualifying as we've been lacking a little. It's great that Checo has signed a contract extension with the team, it's nice to have the continuity and I get on really well with him."
Sergio Perez: "I was very happy to extend my stay with the team until at least 2024, that tells you the great work we have done together and how happy we are with each other. Having my future decided allows me to stay one hundred percent focused on the main goal of winning races and world titles. It's amazing how hard work always pays, two years ago I was without a seat in F1 and today I'm in the best team. I can only say that I am happy and very grateful for the opportunity. Today I think I am in the best moment of my career and driving for a team that always seeks perfection, which is the perfect match for me and for any driver.
"I am still very excited to think about what we achieved as a team in Monaco, seeing the joy it brought to my family and my country motivates me a lot. However, we must put the emotion aside and focus on the next race, which is Azerbaijan. The Championship fight is really tight, so we need to be totally focused. It was very special winning my first race with the team in Baku last season, it brought me great joy. I like street circuits because it is where the driver can really make the difference, of course it is easier to make a mistake when you're trying to go on the limit, but at the end of the day that is what gives you the tenths you need to be competitive.
• Oracle Red Bull Racing are the only constructor to have had both cars start in the top five on the grid at every Grand Prix in 2022.
• Max Verstappen's podium finish in Monaco was the 65th of his Red Bull Racing career, tying Sebastian Vettel for the most in the team's history. His next podium would not only break the record but also be the third-highest total for any driver with any team, behind Michael Schumacher and Ferrari (116) and Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes (134).
• Victory in Monte-Carlo gave Checo his 1,000th point as an F1 driver. Exactly 300 of them have come since joining Red Bull at the start of 2021.
• Max has won four Grands Prix (Saudi Arabia, Emilia Romagna, Miami, Spain) since he last led a free practice session (Bahrain).
• Checo's victory in the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix was the first for a North American driver in the Principality since Gilles Villeneuve won the 1981 event. Checo's third career win also saw him surpass Pedro Rodriguez to become the most successful Mexican driver in F1 history.
• Checo is the most successful driver in Baku F1 history. He is one of the five drivers to have previously won at this venue, but of those five he has scored the most podium finishes (3).