2019 Azerbaijan GP: facts and stats about the Baku City Circuit layout. Facts and stats about the Baku City Circuit layout .

Engineering challenge?
The Baku City Circuit is all about straight-line speed and slow-corner grip. Downforce levels are the second-lowest of the year, after Monza, but Baku has no high-speed corners to put energy through the tyres. The engineering challenge is to shave off as much downforce as possible, while ensuring the tyres are worked hard enough to remain in their operating window.

How to tell when a driver’s really on it
The amount they use the kerbs and particularly the outside kerb on the approach to Turn 15. The corner has a narrow, downhill approach and a driver needs to use all of the available road on entry to be quick. But beware: carry too much speed in and you risk hitting the outside barrier at the exit.

Trickiest bits for the driver
Braking for Turn One. The car has been flat-out, at speeds of up to 365km/h (227mph), for the previous two kilometres (1.243 miles), so the brakes are cold when the driver uses them. It’s easy to lock a wheel in these conditions.

Car set-up
Low downforce in an effort to maximise top speeds on the long pit straight, with a relatively soft suspension set-up to allow the drives to use the kerbs.

Grip levels
Low. Baku is a street circuit that’s used just once a year. Grip levels are poor to begin with, but conditions improve as the racing line cleans up and rubber gets laid down.

Brake wear
Medium. There are six significant braking events around the lap, the hardest into Turn One.