After Barcelona and Monaco, Formula 1 is preparing for a challenging double-header on a logistical level, with completely different technical characteristics and scenarios. This weekend the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held, another street circuit after that of Monte Carlo, while the following week we will fly to Canada, in Montreal, which returns to the calendar after two years of forced absence.
The reason why the next two races will differ from Spain and Monaco is mainly in the nature of the circuits which will push the various teams to choose completely different aerodynamic setups. In fact, in the last two events the high and very high load configurations were used, while in Baku and Canada the trend will be to bring medium-low or low load configurations to the track, almost the opposite.
Baku, with its long straight of over 2 kilometers, requires an extremely efficient car in order not to lose precious tenths on that long straight of the track. But there are also many 90° corners, alternated with important straights where traction will be a fundamental element in the search for maximum performance, both in terms of timing and tire management. Not to mention that the second sector is known for the spectacular slow corners around the castle, one of the points where the drivers can make the most difference in qualifying, just like Charles Leclerc did last season, by taking pole position on the streets of Baku.
The long straights and the importance of top speeds would immediately make us think of a circuit favorable to Red Bull and a Ferrari forced to limit the damage, while Barcelona and Monaco matched better with the characteristics of the F1-75 car; only a problem of reliability in Spain and errors of strategy in Monte Carlo took away two easy victories from Charles Leclerc. In Baku, however, there are some variables that should not put Ferrari on the defensive right from the start of the weekend.
The first variable concerns the characteristics of the Naku circuit, particularly limiting at the rear. And in this respect the F1-75, up to now, has always behaved in a positive way. This is thanks to a stable rear and significant traction, supported by a power unit which has been the point of reference in this start of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship, especially in the power delivery phase.
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In addition, Scuderia Ferrari has tried to improve the efficiency of its F1-75 car and the production of downforce deriving from the underbody with the updates introduced in Spain, which have given on track the advantages which the Italian team had anticipated with the tools used in Maranello; however, it will be even more important to reassess them on an efficiency track like that of Baku. A factor that should not be underestimated is also be the use of tires: Pirelli will bring the three softest compounds in the range, on which Ferrari, looking at Melbourne and Monaco, has shown that it can adapt quite well, as pointed out by Piergiuseppe Donadoni for corriere.it.
Regarding Red Bull, from the beginning of the season it seemed clear that the RB18 was great at the circuits where aerodynamic efficiency was more important than the load. The long straights, especially the final parts, have become a strong point of the car designed by Adrian Newey, who thus hopes to see his merits exalted also on the Azerbaijani circuit. «In Baku and Montreal we will do better than in the previous two circuits because our top speed will help us again. However, I expect a very close battle with Ferrari” – explained the consultant of the Anglo-Austrian team, Helmut Marko. A battle that will also shift in terms of components used in the power units as Charles Leclerc may be forced to use the third turbocharger and MGU-H motogenerator units to the track, after the problems that led to the retirement in Spain, while Red Bull, with Max Verstappen, has not yet introduced its second unit of all the macro components this season.
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