F1 2023: Azerbaijan GP - Baku (Apr 30)

[NYG]

F1 2023: Azerbaijan GP - Baku (Apr 30)

When was the track built?

It wasn’t – Baku is the newest street circuit on the Formula 1 calendar, joining the ranks of Monaco, Melbourne and Singapore.
When was its first Grand Prix?

The first Grand Prix in Baku was held in 2016, as the European Grand Prix. That was followed by the inaugural Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2017, which witnessed one of the biggest upsets of the season, with Daniel Ricciardo winning out from Valtteri Bottas and the Williams of Lance Stroll, while Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel engaged in some argy-bargy behind the Safety Car.

What’s the circuit like?

A mixture of wide and open and tight and twisty. The lonnnnng main straight along the Baku shoreline is a slipstreaming mecca, and with cars able to run three abreast into Turn 1, the action often looks more IndyCar than F1. However from there, the track loops around into the city’s narrow, winding Icheri Sheher old town, dramatically wending past Baku’s medieval city walls. As in Monaco, slightest mistakes are punished quickly and severely, while set-up wise, the teams are forced to choose between downforce for the twisty bits and less drag for the straight.

Why go?

As with all city tracks, spectating at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix means that you’re right in the middle of the action when the cars get put back in their boxes. Baku itself is a buzzing city, while food is a key part of Azerbaijan’s culture, incorporating elements of Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisine – so eat up!

Where is the best place to watch?

The principal Absheron grandstand at the end of the main straight should be high up on your viewing wish-list, as you’ll be watching the cars braking from around 350km/h into the 90-degree Turn 1 – and you’ll likely get to watch the lion’s share of overtaking too. Elsewhere, the Icheri Sheher grandstand provides a unique vantage point, as you watch the cars wriggle through the city gate section and power on down to the super-fast Turn 13-15 complex.

https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2...n/Circuit.html

2022 race highlights:

2022 thread:
https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1926987

[NYG]

This break was terrible but we're finally back! All the F1 reporting ran out of content at the beginning of the month.

Can Sergio show his strengths here?

I'm sticking to

VER
PER
ALO

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by NYG

This break was terrible but we're finally back! All the F1 reporting ran out of content at the beginning of the month.

Can Sergio show his strengths here?

I'm sticking to

VER
PER
ALO

As per usual for me too.

[MoeTE87]

Finally, F1 is back! Feels like forever!

[NYG]

Originally Posted by MoeTE87

Finally, F1 is back! Feels like forever!

Loooong month

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by NYG

Loooong month

Well, at least we've got 5 races in 6 weeks. Hopefully 5 Max wins in 6 weeks on his way to a new record for wins, podiums, and points again this year besting the record he previously set.
I'm hoping to see some great finishes from Checo too so they can seal a Constructor's title early and start to develop next year's car while everyone is still trying to redesign their current cars.

[Jackie Chiles]

Baku?

Gesundheit.

Seriously though, street circuits suck. It is a horrible trend that F1 visits so many of them.

But at least there is a race this weekend. . .

[M5Rick]

I'd say it's back to sanity with just days to countdown for the Baku weekend.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by NYG

Attachment 3163613



https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2...n/Circuit.html

As usual . Thanks for posting my friend . Awesome !

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

I'd say it's back to sanity with just days to countdown for the Baku weekend.

+ It's the first sprint race of the new season .

Charlie has still (2021) Baku nightmares

[3798j]

.

[3798j]

.

[Abacus38]

I'm drinking the Kool aid today lads

PER
HAM
ALO

VES DNF

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

+ It's the first sprint race of the new season .

Charlie has still (2021) Baku nightmares

No upgrades for Ferrari for this race so it's going to be tough for them and Sainz is starting to take friendly fire for his performance, the fall out for the ALO trip up is a big blow to him.

[jsf721]

Ver
Per
Rus

[M5Rick]

[QUOTE=///M Power-Belgium;30066911]+ It's the first sprint race of the new season .

Charlie has still (2021) Baku nightmares
--------------------------------------------------------

*Talking about sprints there is an F1 Commission vote on them today, a lot of drivers are not happy with the schedules and Dominecali seems to be skipping their concerns.
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...nt-commission/

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by Abacus38

I'm drinking the Kool aid today lads

PER
HAM
ALO

VES DNF

Little chance of that with Pirelli having better tyres making blow outs more unlikely to what happened in '21..

[M5Rick]

Can it get any worse for Ferrari, Mekies is leaving for AT
https://racingnews365.com/mekies-set...-Al-2023-04-25
''box now, box now'' Chas loved it lol

[GuidoK]

My prediction:

1. VER
2. PER
3. ALO
4. LEC
5. STR
6. RUS
7. HAM
8. GAS
9. SAI
10. BOT

Lets hope for very little damages during the sprint race. It's one of the critiques from the teams on the sprint race system. More damages that might not all be covered by the extra budget they get with the sprint races and it makes it much more difficult to predict how much spare parts they have to make that cost money but might not get used and at some time become obsolete, but still have eaten away in the total budget.

[NYG]

Originally Posted by Jackie Chiles

Baku?

Gesundheit.

Seriously though, street circuits suck. It is a horrible trend that F1 visits so many of them.

But at least there is a race this weekend. . .

Baku is one of the good ones imo!

[M5Rick]

Sainz was expecting more points at Melbourne and got into a spiral of events that meant no points with 2 penalty points? but the man under real pressure is double DNF man Charlie who is on just 6 points to Carlos's 20 so a cool stay out of trouble drive should benefit the Spaniard.
Surely Charlie must be remembering Mattia's words of wisdom to him and it's about time he took them in.
https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-standings/2023/

[GuidoK]

Baku is one of the best circuits on the calender.
It has very good scenery (beautiful city), very tight and tricky corners but also very good opportunities to overtake due to the long straight.