F1 Azerbaijan GP Preview
9th June 2022The Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit sets the stage for round eight of Formula 1’s 2022 championship as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen lines up another victory.
In a similar fashion to last season, Red Bull’s defending world champion, Verstappen, leads the drivers standings with 125 points to his name – 20pts more than last season. While Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc trails behind the Dutchman, in second, by nine points (116pts).
Baku sits as the third longest track on the F1 calendar, this year, at a whopping 6.003 kilometres. Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps and Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Corniche Circuit are the only two tracks, respectively, which are longer than Azerbaijan’s.
With a good mix of long straights and technical sections of the track, both the drivers and the teams will have to find a compromise between straight line speed and downforce for the tight corners.
Mercedes’ uphill battle
Plagued with aerodynamic issues such as porpoising, the iconic Silver Arrow outfit has been completely off the pace and they haven’t looked to be in a position to battle for race wins or pole positions.
Following a hectic Monaco Grand Prix which saw changing conditions, red flags and delays, the team only managed to maximise their potential. Although their issues seemed to be eliminated in Spain, the team still struggled to fight at the front as they nursed their car around the bumpy nature of Monte-Carlo.
As the paddock returns to yet another street circuit, suspension or ride issues may hinder Mercedes’ performance – as they did in the Principality. But, if they can minimise their problems, the team look to be in good form to potentially get their first pole or race win.
However, despite the potential for a good finish, the Silver Arrows still have an uphill battle to face in their bid to claim a ninth constructors title.
Verstappen’s payback
It isn’t difficult to understand why Verstappen was reported to have ‘unfinished business’ in Baku.
Last season, the then-to-be world champion had a comfortable four second lead ahead of his teammate, Sergio Perez, and Hamilton, respectively. But, a rear-left tyre failure cost him vital points and a race win as he DNF’d after a hefty crash with the barrier.
it was later revealed, according to Planet F1, the team ran with lower tyre pressures than Pirelli had expected the teams to run. This, in turn, caused the tyre’s inner sidewall to break.
As it currently stands, no driver has ever secured more than one win at the city circuit in its five-year history on the calendar. If Verstappen can finally redeem his race win this weekend, he would become the sixth driver to win in Baku, in as many races.
Probable chance of a safety car
Out of the five races held in Baku, there have been three races where the safety car, full and virtual, has made an appearance. In total, there have been seven safety car stints across these grand prix.
As shown in qualifying last season, where four red flags were shown, run off areas are far and few between. This has resulted in a 60% chance of Bernd Maylander being called into action on Sunday.
While the pit wall, for any team, would be called into immediate action regarding pit strategy following any SC deployment, the drivers will face the toughest challenge of the season: the restart. With a straight which goes over 2km in length, the race leader – and pace setter – has to judge the procedure perfectly.
If the leader accelerates too early, he will risk overtaking the safety car before the control line, which is fairly late and would result in an immediate penalty. At the same time, they are at risk of being outbraked by the rest of the pack going into turn one.
In addition, the pack are also not allowed to overtake until the control line. This means the drivers cannot risk getting too close and gathering the slipstream too early from the car ahead. As a result, the 2km straight also increases the likelihood of another safety car intervention as cars may suddenly slow down if they misjudge their gaps.
That’s it for the article: F1 Azerbaijan GP Preview! Are you looking forward to the Azerbaijan GP? Let us know in the comments!
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
