Almost a decade old now, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is part of the modern breed of Formula 1 street circuits. Set on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the anti-clockwise layout manages to combine some of F1’s highest top speeds with a rather fiddly section through the old city, all of it lined with walls and barriers to punish mistakes. It’s a low-downforce track, with mostly slow corners, similar to Montreal and Monza.
Despite the questionable record of the hosting country—something all too many F1 races can also offer, including now the three held here in the US—I have a soft spot for watching Baku, with its interesting mix of old and new architecture, and it usually puts on a good race. I particularly love the helicopter and drone shots that follow the action with a God’s eye view, giving you a glimpse behind the building facades and into this city by the sea.
Friday’s practice sessions gave the Ferrari-supporting Tifosi something to look forward to, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc topping the times for FP2. Hamilton, who has looked at sea this year after his switch to Ferrari, was made the bubbliest we’ve seen him all season when being interviewed on Friday, and his teammate Leclerc has four pole positions to his name at Baku, further stoking the hope.
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