The Grand Prix

"Another well-executed weekend by the entire team and we leave Baku with a combined total of 22 points. That is a good return from quite a challenging event on a very demanding street circuit." Mike assesses the results of the weekend in Baku, with a decent number of points accumulated across the Sprint and the Grand Prix around the challenging streets of Baku.

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"I think we had a tricky weekend with the DRS issue on Friday and Saturday, but despite this we have finished only one second away from the podium at the chequered flag. With that in mind, I have to be happy with fourth position and our overall performance which was encouraging all race." Fernando explains that despite the challenges faced by the team this weekend, the pace was there to deliver a strong result at the conclusion of the weekend.

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"It was pretty tough out there today. I was happy with my start, as well as the Safety Car restart, but I wasn't feeling super comfortable with the car once the race got going and made a slight mistake. A little misjudgement can end your day here, so I was fortunate to get away with brushing the wall and managed to continue with the race." Lance explains the race from his side, including the slight brush with the perilous Baku walls at Turn Five.

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"Full credit to the drivers who did an excellent job to make progress from their starting positions. They managed the Hard tyres well over a long stint, while maintaining good race pace, and brought the cars home safely to round off a clean weekend." Great teamwork. Mike pays tribute to Lance and Fernando, who both had to manage their Hard tyres for 40 laps, and were continuing to show plenty of pace in the final moments of the race.

"Thankfully today the DRS seemed to work fine, and our tyre management was strong. I thought the tailwind was quite random and here in Baku you are always on the edge." Having faced DRS issues throughout the weekend, Fernando highlighted the strengths of the AMR23 in the race and the additional variables needing to be managed during the race.

"Once Lewis [Hamilton] passed me, it was just about maintaining position and holding off George [Russell] for the remaining laps. He was pushing hard, but we managed the tyres well and I was able to keep him behind me." Lance spent much of his race battling with the Mercedes pair. He crucially overhauled Russell at Turn Two on the restart, and kept him at bay until the chequered flag.

"We only have to wait a few days before we go racing again, so let's see what we can do next week in Miami!" There is a very short gap between now and the next Grand Prix, and Fernando is already looking ahead to the Miami International Autodrome next weekend.

"As a team, we definitely have a few things to work though ahead of Miami, but I think we need to be pleased to come away from the first Sprint weekend of the year with a decent haul of points to maintain second in the Constructors' Championship." In the mix. Lance reflects on the weekend as a whole, which has concluded with AMF1 Team still ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari.

"This sets us up nicely for our first trip of the year to the United States next week as we get ready to entertain the fans in Miami." Mike believes that the strong performance showed in Azerbaijan despite the challenges faced by the team will tee the team up nicely for the Miami Grand Prix next weekend.