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#Formula1 #AzerbaijanGP 2023 Preview. #F1

Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022 Race Start. Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan. Image credit to Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview, F1 Azerbaijan GP Preview.

Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022 Race Start. Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan. Image credit to Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview, F1 Azerbaijan GP Preview.

2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview – After Max Verstappen won a chaotic Australian GP last time out with three red flags in farcical scenes, round four of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan this weekend following the sport’s spring break for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023. The inaugural Formula 1 race at the circuit was named the European Grand Prix. This will be the sixth event under the Azerbaijan Grand Prix banner. This race weekend will also be the first of six under the Sprint Format.

 

Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022 Race Start. Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan. Image credit to Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview, F1 Azerbaijan GP Preview.
Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022 Race Start. Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan. Image credit to Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview, F1 Azerbaijan GP Preview.

 

2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview – A look at the Baku City Circuit

 

Baku City Circuit track map, Image credit to FIA. 2021 Azerbaijan GP Preview.
Baku City Circuit track map, Image credit to FIA. 2021 Azerbaijan GP Preview. 2022 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview, F1 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan GP Race Preview.

 

The Baku City Circuit is a street circuit constructed near the Baku Boulevard in the capital city of Baku in Azerbaijan. The layout of the circuit was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke and the circuit itself is claimed to be the fastest street circuit on the Formula 1 calendar and the second longest after the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The circuit will start adjacent to Adazliq Square, then will do a loop around Government House before heading west to the Maiden Tower. Then the track will have a narrow uphill traversal and then circle the Old City before opening onto a 2.2 km (1.4 mi) straight along Neftchilar Avenue back to the start/finish line.

 

“Our brief to Tilke Engineering was simple – create a circuit that is unique, one that will help the Grand Prix in Baku quickly establish itself as one of the most exciting, thrilling venues on the F1 calendar, and one that the fans and teams alike are excited about,” explained Azad Rahimov, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sport. “Most importantly, we wanted a track that would showcase the best of Baku, our capital city, and I am delighted that the circuit has achieved exactly that aim.”

 

The Baku City Circuit runs in an anti-clockwise direction and is 6.003km (3.730 miles) in length with 20 corners.

 

The race distance is 306.306km (190.332 miles) in length with 51 laps in total.

 

Charles Leclerc holds the fastest lap record from the 2019 event with a 1:43.009 set in his Scuderia Ferrari SF90.

 

Max Verstappen (2022), Sergio Perez (2021), (Not Held-2020), Valtteri Bottas (2019), Lewis Hamilton (2018), Daniel Ricciardo (2017) and Nico Rosberg (2016 – European GP) are the previous winners of the Baku Grand Prix.

 

Red Bull Racing are the most successful Constructor at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with three victories (2022, 2021 and 2017).


2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview – Onboard Lap of the Baku Street Circuit

 

Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, F1-75, Onboard Pole Lap Image, Qualifying, Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022, Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan. Image credit to F1. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview.
Charles Leclerc, #16, Scuderia Ferrari, F1-75, Onboard Pole Lap Image, Qualifying, Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022, Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan. Image credit to F1. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview.

 

Here is the onboard pole position lap of the Baku Street Circuit from the 2022 event, set by Charles Leclerc in his Scuderia Ferrari F1-75. The Monegasque driver posted a 1:41.359. You can watch the footage right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydzYxW9Jqak


2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview – Tyres

 

Fernando Alonso, #14, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team-Mercedes, AMR23, Free Practice Two, Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image taken by myself. Alonso Aus GP FP2, Verstappen Aus GP FP1.
Fernando Alonso, #14, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team-Mercedes, AMR23, Free Practice Two, Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image taken by myself. Alonso Aus GP FP2, Verstappen Aus GP FP1. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview.

 

Pirelli will be bringing with them to Baku, the white-branded C3 white side-walled Hard rubber, the yellow-marked C4 Medium tyres and the red side-walled C5 Soft compounds along with the green-branded Intermediates and blue-marked Full Wets in case of rain.

 

Drivers will have eight sets of the softs, three sets of the mediums and two sets of the hards.


2023 Azerbaijan GP – DRS Zones

 

There will be two DRS zones on the streets of Baku with the first DRS zone 730 metres on the approach to turn one with the second DRS zone 630 metres on the approach of turn three.


2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits

Pitlane speeds will be 60km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.


ICYMI: Verstappen takes victory in dramatic Australian Grand Prix

 

Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, RB19, celebrating after winning the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image credit to George Darwent/On The Edge Motorsport. Verstappen Australian GP Victory, 2023 Australian GP, Australian Grand Prix Results.
Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, RB19, celebrating after winning the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image credit to George Darwent/On The Edge Motorsport.
Verstappen Australian GP Victory, 2023 Australian GP, Australian Grand Prix Results.

 

Verstappen Australian GP Victory – Reigning world champion Max Verstappen beat 2021 title-rival Lewis Hamilton to take victory in a crazy Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, which ended in farcical scenes after a late second red flag of three in a chaotic subsequent restart.

 

Verstappen had dominated most of the Grand Prix despite initially losing the lead from pole to Mercedes’ George Russell and Hamilton, before the first red flag came following Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon crashing out solo, scattering debris and gravel all over the track.

 

At the second standing start, Hamilton kept his lead, but as soon as DRS was re-enabled, Verstappen flew by the Mercedes around the outside and into P1 and built a lead he would not ultimately lose, but with a series of drama and confusion scenes to come.

 

The first red flag meant none of the race leaders completed any in-race pit-stops as they were allowed to change their starting rubber under the stoppage, which was what set Russell’s place in the field from which he pushed until his engine erupted in flames at the end of the Grand Prix’s third quarter of proceedings.

 

For most of the 58-lap Australian GP, there was little action at the front of the pack as Verstappen dropped Hamilton and built his gap to a ten-second advantage, which was only cut when the Dutchman took an off-track excursion onto the grass at the penultimate turn 13 left-hand corner and complained about front brake-locking.

 

At this point Hamilton was keeping Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at arm’s length whilst the teams worked out if their stints to the finish could be done without requiring another set of tyres.

 

They were increasing their pace – switching fastest laps with Verstappen in-front – when the concluding bizarreness began, starting with Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen unusually running off the track by himself exiting turn two and hitting the nearby wall with the right-rear of his VF-23 racer.

 

This fell off as the Dane ran towards turn three and that, along with Magnussen parking inside turn four, lead to the Grand Prix being stopped again, with a two-lap dash set to conclude the race.

 

When this began, Verstappen swept across Hamilton’s Mercedes and covered the inside line into the opening corner, from where Alonso exited in-front of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and was then clipped by the SF-23 racer and spun towards the barriers Magnussen had struck.

 

Being, more drama unfolded as Alpine’s Pierre Gasly locked-up hard behind Sainz and went off at the second turn along with a few other cars and as the Frenchman rejoined, he collided with team-mate Esteban Ocon, ruining what could have been a solid result for the Anglo-French based-outfit and most especially for Gasly as he had been battling with Ferrari’s Sainz for most of the proceedings.

 

Before the red flags came out a third time, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll slipped into the gravel trap at turn three whilst fighting with Sainz, appearing to also destroy the Silverstone based-squad’s previous great positions.

 

But after the race was suspended, crucially before Verstappen had gotten through the opening sector-timing line, a half-an-hour delay following with only one lap remaining from the 58 in total as sport’s governing body, the FIA, worked out how they would conclude the event.

 

It was eventually decided, much like last year’s British Grand Prix, that the previous grid start order would be used minus the cars that could not take a fourth and last restart.

 

This was a rolling-start behind the safety car, which meant no overtaking and so Verstappen blasted on to take the Australian GP victory to win under no threat from Mercedes’ Hamilton and the restored Alonso in third.

 

They were followed to the flag by Sainz, but he had already copped a five-second timed-addition penalty for hitting fellow Spanish-compatriot Alonso at the third standing start –

 

Sainz, was absolutely furious about not being able to plead his case to the race stewards, thus was relegated to 12th in the classifications, making it pointless weekend for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc was forced to retire in the turn three gravel trap on the lap one after turning in and finding Stroll on his inside and getting sent around in what was declared a racing incident.

 

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez made a charge from starting in the pit-lane and produced the most action of the Grand Prix during its main phase, as he put in overtake after overtake on slower rivals into the swift turn nine-ten left-right sweepers.

 

The Mexican reached seventh place by the second red flag but was very lucky to end the day in fifth as he had been battling Gasly in the third restart drama and went deep into the gravel trap and dropped to the rear of the field before being boosted back up by the FIA’s ruling.

 

McLaren’s Lando Norris and Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg put in an entertaining fight during the pre-Magnussen red flag events, and they finished sixth and seventh respectively in-front of home hero Oscar Piastri who was eighth in the other MCL60 racer.

 

Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda completed the top ten and ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas who was 11th and the aforementioned penalised Sainz.


2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview – The Situation

 

Max Verstappen, #33, Oracle Red Bull Racing-RBPT Honda, RB19, Qualifying, Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image credit to Clive Mason/F1/Getty Images. Verstappen Australian GP Pole, 2023 Australian GP Qualifying, Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Results, F1 Australian GP Qualifying.
Max Verstappen, #33, Oracle Red Bull Racing-RBPT Honda, RB19, Qualifying, Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image credit to Clive Mason/F1/Getty Images. Verstappen Australian GP Pole, 2023 Australian GP Qualifying, Australian Grand Prix Qualifying Results, F1 Australian GP Qualifying. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview.

 

The cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix meant Formula 1 fans around the world had to wait four weeks to see cars back on track following the Australian Grand Prix.

 

Max Verstappen heads to Azerbaijan sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship Standings with 69 points and a 15-point-advantage over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who Is second on 54 points whilst Fernando Alonso is third and a further 24 points behind the Dutchman and on 45 points.

 

Oracle Red Bull Racing comes to Baku sitting on top of the Constructors Championship with 123 points and a 58 point-lead over nearest rivals Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team who are second on 65 points while Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team are a further 67-points behind the Milton Keynes-based outfit in third on 56 points.

 

The first of the 2023 season’s six Sprint Format weekend in Baku will also be the first time Saturday’s shorter race has been contested on a street circuit.

 

The decision by the sport to hold a Sprint early in the campaign, at the beginning of a double-header at a track with walls close by, has been debated by all team principals, particularly Christian Horner.

 

“The reality is it’s absolutely ludicrous to be doing the first sprint race of the year in a street race like Azerbaijan,” Horner explained to Sky Sports in Australia last time out. “I think from a spectacle point of view, from a fan point of view, it is probably going to be one of the most exciting sprint races of the year,”

 

“From a cost-cap perspective, all you can do is trash your car and it costs a lot of money around there. So one race is enough in Baku. The fact that we’ve got two… yeah, there could well be some action there.” Horner concluded. Credit to Sky Sports for the quote.

 

Aston Martin Team Principal Mike Krack also admitted there was “nervousness”, whilst Alpine’s Otmar Szafnauer said the teams would likely be using the unintended break to build up more spare parts for the upcoming double headers in Baku and Miami.

 

This weekend also features a new format for Sprint race weekends. The plans are to have one practice session on Friday morning with the afternoon’s qualifying session now setting the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

 

The Sprint will then have its own standalone events on Saturday, with a separate, shorter qualifying session replacing Free Practice 2 on Saturday morning before the 100km Sprint itself in the afternoon. The result of the Sprint will no longer determine the grid for the Grand Prix on Sunday.

 

The F1 commission is meeting in the week to vote on the plans.


Can Red Bull’s dominance be stopped?

 

Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, RB19 (Middle, Winner), Sir Lewis Hamilton, #44, Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula One Team, F1 W14 (Left, 2nd) and Fernando Alonso, #14, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team-Mercedes, AMR23 (Right, 3rd), The Podium, Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image taken by myself. Verstappen Australian GP Victory, 2023 Australian GP, Australian Grand Prix Results.
Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing-Honda RBPT, RB19 (Middle, Winner), Sir Lewis Hamilton, #44, Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula One Team, F1 W14 (Left, 2nd) and Fernando Alonso, #14, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team-Mercedes, AMR23 (Right, 3rd), The Podium, Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix 2023, Albert Park Street Circuit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Image taken by myself. Verstappen Australian GP Victory, 2023 Australian GP, Australian Grand Prix Results. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview.

 

Three Grands Prix, three pole positions, three victories, two 1-2’s – Red Bull have been flying so far in 2023.

 

Given their stunning form, it is little wonder why Horner does not want the added peril of a street-race Sprint.

 

The RB19’s superiority saw the first non-Red Bull car cross the line over 38 seconds behind the winners at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and 20 seconds in Saudi Arabia. Whilst Verstappen was comfortably clear of Mercedes’ Sir Lewis Hamilton before the late red flags in Melbourne wiped out the reigning world champion’s advantage.

 

Could this extended spring break possibly have hurt the Milton Keynes based-outfit?

 

Given their development penalty this campaign, Red Bull would have wanted to keep their momentum going and score as many points as possible whilst their RB19 racers have the advantage.

 

The cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix meant their rivals have now had four uninterrupted weeks to work on upgrades and try to cut the gap down.

 

Unlike over the sport’s summer break when F1 teams must shutdown their factories for two weeks, they have been able to continue to operate as normal.

 

Mercedes CEO and Team Principal Toto Wolff explained on Thursday that the Silver Arrows have been working flat out with the intention of “consistently bringing upgrades” over the coming Grands Prix, with James Allison saying after the Australian GP that the focus would be to find more downforce and deliver different suspension components to improve the driveability and balance of the F1 W14.

 

The former champions have also reshuffled their technical team with Allison returning back to being the Brackley based-outfit’s Technical Director and Mike Elliot moving back to Chief Technical Officer in an attempt to close the gap to Red Bull Racing.

 

Aston Martin are also set to bring upgrades to their Mercedes-powered AMR23’s, including a new rear wing, as they look to build on their impressive start to the campaign, which has made them the closest challengers to the front.

 

Red Bull are pushing for their third successive win in Azerbaijan and will be favourites to do that with their strong DRS advantage in the race they find themselves in with Baku’s long back straights, but a closer fight at the front could be on the cards.


Can Perez and Ferrari recover after their Melbourne woes?

 

After a poor weekend last time at Albert Park, Perez is probably happy to be heading back to a street circuit as he seeks close the gap in the championship to his leading Red Bull team-mate Verstappen and reignite his title bid.

 

The Mexican sits 15 points behind Verstappen in the Driver’s Championship after his fifth-placed finish in Melbourne, but four of his five victories have come from street circuits, including Jeddah this year.

 

Perez claimed victory at the 2021 event in Baku and also finished on the podium in 2022, 2018 and 2016. With Verstappen in red-hot form, Perez cannot afford to drop anymore further behind in the standings even so early in the campaign. Can Perez make the most of the extra points available this weekend?

 

Over to the next garage, Ferrari will be hoping their fortunes this season will change on the streets of Baku. Azerbaijan has not been a happy place for the Maranello-marque, with just three podiums and a double retirement last year.

 

Red Bull’s closest threat last season, Ferrari have endured a difficult beginning to 2023 with Charles Leclerc suffering two DNF’s and taking a grid penalty for engine components already, and they failed to score any points in Melbourne.

 

Another disappointing weekend for Ferrari will almost certainly mean that their wait for another championship will go on for another year.


Will the updated MCL60 revive McLaren?

 

McLaren have been one of the poorest so far in the 2023 season as the Woking based-squad sit fifth in the Constructor’s Championship, and are just 14 points behind Ferrari, but Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were the biggest gainers last time out in Australia from the chaotic finish.

 

The duo finished sixth and eighth respectively to get McLaren off the board scoring 12 points, but when Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen caused the second red flag, Norris had been running eighth and Piastri outside the points scoring positions.

 

Zak Brown admitted ahead of the 2023 season that the team missed their development targets with their car, so a slow start was expected.

 

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will see McLaren bring the first of three major upgrades the Woking based-outfit has been planning for the MCL60 throughout the season.

 

Team Principal Andrea Stella explained that from their data, the updates were looking “promising” and McLaren are hoping it will ensure they are indeed the fifth-quickest car on the grid.

 

It will take more than just the upgrade to get the Woking based-squad back where they want to be in the top four, but they are hoping this will help revive their fortunes in 2023 and that their new technical executive team can build upon.


Will Baku deliver more drama?

 

Max Verstappen, #33, Red Bull Racing-Honda, RB16B, Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021, Baku City Street Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan, Image credit to Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. Perez 2021 Azerbaijan GP victory, 2021 Azerbaijan GP.
Max Verstappen, #33, Red Bull Racing-Honda, RB16B, Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021, Baku City Street Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan, Image credit to Resul Rehimov/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. Perez 2021 Azerbaijan GP victory, 2021 Azerbaijan GP. 2023 Azerbaijan GP Preview, Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview.

 

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has a history of delivering season-defining drama with epic races every year since it has been held (forgetting the dull 2016 European GP event).

 

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel bumping wheels with race leader Hamilton behind the safety car in 2017, then Red Bull team-mates Daniel Ricciardo and Verstappen colliding with each other in 2018, Ferrari’s Leclerc saying “I’m stupid” following his 2019 qualifying crash.

 

2021 also saw Verstappen suffer a massive tyre blowout on the main-straight when leading with just five tours remaining before Hamilton messed up the restart and also finished outside the points.

 

Even last season’s relatively calm race saw Leclerc suffer an engine failure whilst leading.

 

What will this years event on the streets of Baku have in store for us in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix itself? Stay tuned!

 

Click here for the 2023 World Driver’s (Top Ten) and World Constructor’s Championship Standings

 

The Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023 weekend begins Friday April 28 with Free Practice 1 and Qualifying, followed by a shorter Sprint Qualifying or Free Practice 2 (subject to this week’s F1 commission vote) and the 100km Sprint Saturday April 29 and the 51 Lap Race Sunday April 30.

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