Sebastian Vettel (P2, 18 pts): 9.5/10
How many times over the last 12 months have we lamented the sad decline of Sebastian Vettel and despaired of ever seeing the four-time world champion back to his best? Sure, he was looking revived in Monaco when he picked up fifth place, but we feared this might prove a temporary blip and that things would be back to usual in Baku. Well, they weren't. He appeared rejuvenated despite a subdued time in all three practice sessions. When it came to qualifying, a late red flag in Q2 meant that he missed the cut by an agonising three hundreds of a second to his howls of disbelief and frustration over the team radio. But on the upside that enabled him to choose a new set of soft tyres for the race which helped him jump Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas, and to stay out long enough to inherit the lead for a spell from lap 14. After his pit stop he settled back in line behind former Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc, and got the jump on both Leclerc and Pierre Gasly at the restart following a safety car for his current Aston Martin team mate Lance Stroll's accident. That put him on the verge of the podium: and with Max Verstappe's retirement and Lewis Hamilton's run-off, Vettel duly strode into second place at the chequered flag as if he had never been away.
Sergio Perez (P1, 25 pts): 10/10
The reason why Red Bull decided to drop Alex Albon and sign up Sergio Perez was the hope that the experienced driver would be able to play a part in the team's race strategy, step in should anything happen to Max Verstappen, and thereby ensure this was not a one-man team fighting for the title with one hand behind its back but a genuine partnership. All that came true and was on show in Baku, and while Verstappen's lead over Lewis Hamilton in the drivers standings is still just four points, Perez' contribution has helped extend Red Bull's margin in the constructors championship to a whopping 26 points. He was in the mix right from the start, topping the times in FP2 and beating Verstappen by a tenth of a second. After finishing as the runner-up in final practice he had a bit of a disappointment by qualifying in 'only' seventh place, but Lando Norris' grid penalty and passes on Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz put Perez back just where the team needed him to play a crucial role in the developing strategy. After the pit stops, Verstappen was duly installed as leader and Perez was placed as his wingman doing everything required to successfully thwart Hamilton's best efforts. And then came Verstappen's dramatic exit, just as Perez himself was struggling with a hydraulic problem that almost forced him out too. Perez was there to step in, and in the process pressured Hamilton into a terrible mistake at the restart which alone should justify every cent Red Bull are paying him this year.
