Formula One is again ready to get back on track and deal with a street circuit, two weeks after racing on the streets of Monte Carlo. The Sunday off served to recharge the batteries. Energies that will begin to be put to the test in the second half of the month when the French GP, set for the weekend of 18 – 20 June, will kick off the triple header that will end on 2-4 July with the Austrian double. Returning to focus on current events, unfortunately, after a few fans were able to attend the Monaco Grand Prix, in Baku we will return to having the empty stands with which we were accustomed to last year. The decision to race behind closed doors was made by the organizers of the Azerbaijan GP in March and has not been subjected to second thoughts.
Azerbaijan GP 2021 Preview: Layout
The fact that Baku is a city circuit should not be misleading. Baku and Monaco have very little in common, other than the fact that they are just the tracks carved out of the streets of two well-known towns. The capital of Azerbaijan is located on the shores of the Caspian Sea at a truly unusual altitude: -28 meters above sea level, a characteristic of the endorheic basins. Now present in the Formula 1 calendar since 2016 (the only season in which the event was held under the name of European GP), the recently built track has reached its 5th edition in six years (it had to be cancelled in 2020 due to Covid).
The elements which distinguish it (length of 6,003 km and divided by 20 corners, 12 left and 8 right) are essentially three: the prevalence of 90° slow corners, the evocative setting offered by the Castle and the long straight of 2 km that connects Turn 16 to Turn 1, in which the drivers run in full as if it were a straight line (even if articulated by 4 turns). Almost all turns are taken in third gear, with the exception of 02, 07 and the section of the old town (Castello) that goes from turns 08 to 11, in second gear. The streets alternates wide spaces, where the possibility of overtaking are more than guaranteed, to some very narrow sections: the width of these cars barely allows the transit of one car in the medieval section.
Azerbaijan GP 2021 Preview: Aerodynamics and DRS
While for the streets of the Principality it was a must to focus on high aerodynamic load, in Azerbaijan the teams will tend to seek the least possible resistance to exploit the speed on the very long straight that leads to the finish line (the longest of the season). However, given the massive presence of 90° turns, they will tend to use a medium-low load / package,: compromise necessary to give a minimum of insertion accuracy especially in the slow uphill entrance which leads to the Castle. Finding the correct aerodynamic balance will be one of the biggest challenges of the weekend. Obviously, as often happens in these cases, the car that will benefit from the most efficient body will come out with an advantage. It will be interesting to see the C5 Pirelli compound making its debut on the asphalt of the Azerbaijani capital. This, in addition to suggesting a lowering of lap times, should help the drivers to make up for (in part) the lack of grip given by the aero-mechanical choice made.
Drivers will be able to count on the use of the mobile wing in two different circumstances. The first DRS section is located between Turn 2 and Turn 3, a short extension in full acceleration from second to eighth gear. While the other is placed at the end of the very long straight of the finish line. Even if observing from the map the two zones are of comparable length, the greater speed delta between having or not the mobile device activated will be in correspondence with the main straight, when the cars will arrive at full speed. Difference generally between 15 and 18 km / h, with lower values in the second section. Obviously, these also represent the areas where the main overtaking actions will be concentrated during the race.
Azerbaijan GP 2021 Preview: Power Unit
From a technical point of view, shifting attention to the Power Unit, the Baku circuit (together with Spa) is the track where the hybrid part will have the greatest weight. It will be crucial for the drivers to be able to count on an efficient recovery of electricity by the two motor generators mounted on their car. With the throttle that will remain completely open for over 70% of the lap time , the contribution of the MGU-H will prove to be quite important, just like the MGU-K: on four occasions the brakes will operate for over two seconds, allowing the kinetic motor generator to charge the batteries even in those that are the slowest sections of the track.
Azerbaijan GP 2021 Preview: Fuel and Transmission
Fuel consumption is perhaps the most critical technical factor. To cover the 51 laps of 6,003 kilometers it will be necessary to load over 100 kg of fuel against the 110 granted by regulation. Being in Baku, even if in 2019 it was not necessary to use it, the intervention by one or more Safety Cars is always to be considered very probable. Factor that could allow drivers a better fuel management without having to resort to fuel saving techniques.
Although the track, with its 6 km length and its 20 turns forces the drivers to use the paddles behind the wheel about 70 times per lap, throughout the race the transmission is stressed a little less than in the GP of Monaco. 3600 changes against the 3900 of the Monegasque event. The long straight will also facilitate the cooling of all components and this will allow the use of slightly more closed engine hoods in order to favor the aerodynamic efficiency of the car.
Azerbaijan GP 2021 Preview: Braking system
The Azerbaijani track is classified by Brembo technicians as one of the most demanding for the brakes. On a scale of 1 to 5, it earned a 4 on the difficulty index, the same as the Sakhir circuit. Immediately after the finish line the track features four 90 ° corners , very demanding for the brakes, followed by others where the angle changes continuously and, consequently, also the use of the brakes. The track has several technical turns such as 8, which is the one that starts the sequence located near the Castle.
6 km long, its 11 braking moments use the disks for a little less than 20 seconds per lap: the double compared to the track of Imola and 1.2 seconds more than in Monaco. Despite this, the overall load on the brake pedal is less than that recorded in the previous appointment: 53.5 tons . In 5 of these 11 braking sections, the force that the driver has to apply does not even reach 90 kg . The lowest level of deceleration barely reaches 3.8 G , with a commitment of 1.86 seconds. On 4 occasions, however, the braking system remains in operation for over 2.13 seconds , the load on the brake pedal reaches a peak of 166 kg , never exceeding 140 kg in the other cases.
Of the 11 braking sections, 4 are therefore classified as very demanding, 4 of medium difficulty and the remaining 3 as light. The most challenging can only be the one that the drivers face at the first corner : the single-seaters enter it at 334 km / h, slow down to 125 km / h in just 1.85 seconds by applying a force of 131 kg on the brake pedal. At this juncture they suffer a deceleration of 5.5 G. Braking distance: 107 meters.
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