The primary of a double-header of infamous avenue circuits, Formulation 1 heads to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Held later within the season than any race at Baku earlier than, the race could possibly be probably the most aggressive and unpredictable ever held on the avenue circuit.
Will Ferrari be capable to battle for victory for a second consecutive weekend? Will Purple Bull carry out any higher than they did at Monza?
Listed here are the speaking factors for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Are Purple Bull F1’s fourth-best crew?
The 2 rounds after the summer time break have made one factor abundantly clear: Purple Bull are now not the quickest crew in Formulation 1.
Though Max Verstappen managed to take a podium at his residence grand prix across the high-downforce Zandvoort circuit, the next weekend at Monza set alarm bells ringing for the world champions. Verstappen and crew mate Sergio Perez might solely qualify seventh and eighth, respectively, whereas solely early bother for George Russell arguably prevented them from ending in those self same positions.
That signifies that Purple Bull had been overwhelmed on efficiency by Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes – all three of their closest rivals. After the race, Verstappen warned that the crew wanted flip their type round shortly, in any other case the crew had been dealing with an uncomfortable finish to the season the place they confronted the prospect of shedding each world championships.
Though Baku has been an excellent circuit for Purple Bull in recent times, the crew having gained the final three rounds in Azerbaijan, it’s an unusually high-speed avenue circuit which requires decrease downforce than groups would sometimes run to benefit from the longest full throttle part on the calendar. That might current issues for Purple Bull, who struggled with the steadiness of their automobile final weekend with low downforce.
Will they be again in direction of the entrance once more this weekend, or will they find yourself behind their three rivals as soon as once more?
A Ferrari follow-up?
Though Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monza was finally achieved via Ferrari’s profitable gamble on a one-stop technique, the crew weren’t far off from the McLarens on pure tempo in Italy both.
Leclerc and crew mate Carlos Sainz Jnr had been only a tenth every away from Lando Norris’s pole time on Saturday and Leclerc was by no means six seconds or extra behind very long time chief Oscar Piastri at any level within the race. If the tempo of the Ferraris had not been so robust, then Piastri would have definitely caught and handed Leclerc earlier than the chequered flag regardless of having made an additional cease.
Whereas final yr was not an particularly robust one for Ferrari, Baku was one in every of their higher weekends in 2023. Leclerc shocked many by taking pole for each dash qualifying and grand prix qualifying itself. Though he couldn’t sustain with the Purple Bulls within the races, a double podium was a really robust efficiency from each Leclerc and his crew. Naturally, Leclerc is feeling upbeat about his prospects for this weekend.
“I nonetheless assume McLaren are the favourites, however we now have finished a step ahead that’s for positive and Baku is a reasonably good observe for me,” Leclerc mentioned after Monza. “I fairly like this observe and I’ve been fairly aggressive prior to now, so who is aware of perhaps we are able to obtain one thing particular once more there.”
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Bearman’s again
Whereas Ferrari’s present drivers look to construct on their current success, one in every of their potential future drivers will get to take pleasure in a second cameo look at a grand prix this season in Baku.
After stepping in for Sainz for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix again in Jeddah, ending in a formidable seventh place on his grand prix debut in an unfamiliar automobile, Bearman has since been confirmed as a full-time Haas driver for 2025, becoming a member of the Ferrari-powered crew alongside the incoming Esteban Ocon.
However with Kevin Magnussen compelled to take a seat out this weekend as he controversially turns into the primary driver ever to be hit with a race ban for accumulating 12 penalty factors on his superlicence over the primary 16 rounds of the championship, Bearman will get an sudden alternative to make his debut for his future crew in Azerbaijan.
Like Jeddah, Baku is a excessive pace avenue circuit. So, in some ways, this shall be an identical form of check to the one he skilled again in March, solely in a automobile he’s extra acquainted with having it a number of instances in 2024 to this point. And with three observe periods to learn from this weekend, Bearman has a possibility to impress his new crew lengthy earlier than he joins them subsequent yr.
“I’ve had 4 FP1 periods with Haas within the VF-24 already this season, so undoubtedly that will even show to be useful in tackling the complete race weekend in Baku,” Bearman mentioned. “The crew is in good type in the meanwhile and I’ll do my greatest to be ready with the time we now have accessible. The purpose is to get on the market and have a strong weekend in Azerbaijan.”
But it surely may be tough for Bearman. Within the final three seasons, Haas have been unable to flee from Q1 as soon as in six makes an attempt and haven’t scored a single level both.
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King of Baku?
When Sergio Perez suffered a dismal weekend in Melbourne final yr, his race engineer Hugh Hen tried to encourage his driver to sit up for the next spherical in Azerbaijan, reminding him that he was the “King of Baku”.
Perez definitely has a good declare to such a lofty title. Throughout the seven races held in Baku, Perez is the one driver to have gained greater than as soon as. His 5 podium finishes are additionally a report – extra spectacular provided that two of these had been achieved as a Drive India driver.
Baku can be the scene of Perez’s newest grand prix victory. Ever since a fortunately-timed Security Automobile allowed him to pit and emerge forward of crew mate Verstappen, who had been main the race on the time, and win the race, Perez has gone 34 rounds with out a victory – whereas Verstappen has gained 24 grands prix in that very same span.
Perez didn’t have a nasty weekend in Monza final day out – Purple Bull had been simply not quick in Italy. Whereas successful on Sunday appears unlikely, this could possibly be a possibility for him to seek out a few of that pace that he appears to have misplaced during the last year-and-a-half.
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Bored Maylander
In a rarity for contemporary Formulation 1, the game is at present on a seven-race streak with out a single Security Automobile deployment. Not because the Canadian Grand Prix has Security Automobile driver Bernd Maylander been requested to intervene in a grand prix after the race has began.
Whereas the races have been no much less thrilling for the shortage of incidents and accidents, Baku is a circuit infamous for producing ‘loopy’ races – even when it has had a number of with none Security Automobile interventions in any respect.
With such little run off and partitions ready to punish any mistake, will this be a tame race or a chaotic one?
DRS dilemma
The final weekend in Monza noticed the FIA make an fascinating determination to elongate the DRS zone alongside the principle straight by simply over 100m. This was in distinction to a name made at Spa-Francorchamps, the place the governing physique moved the DRS activation level alongside the Kemmel Straight farther from Raidillon, making it shorter.
The choice appeared to make overtaking simpler, with 36 on-track overtakes recorded within the race in comparison with 24 the yr prior.
What is going to the FIA select to do for Baku, with it’s exceptionally lengthy essential straight? Will they make the DRS zone longer, shorter or depart it the identical as final yr?
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