2023 Azerbaijan GP preview: Baku City circuit, a mix of slow corners and fast straights

2023 Azerbaijan GP preview: Baku City circuit, a mix of slow corners and fast straights. 2023 Azerbaijan GP preview.

After a three-week break, Formula 1 will return to the track this weekend for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the fourth race of the 2023 World Championship. As usual, the race will take place in Baku on a street circuit that measures just over six kilometers (6003 meters) and features a “lethal” combination of slow corners and extremely fast straights (the finish line straight is as long as 2.2 km). Let’s take a look at the track analysis using data provided by Brembo.

The Baku Circuit under the microscope
After the first four 90-degree corners, the Baku track becomes more twisty in the section of turns 8, 9, and 10, which are very tight and cross the old city, before returning to the starting straight, the main stage of attacks and overtaking, after eight right-hand turns and 12 left-hand turns.

According to data provided by Brembo, the circuit is highly demanding on the brakes, with 20% of the lap time spent braking and three very demanding corners for the braking system. At the braking point for turn 1, speed drops from 344 to 109 km/h after 137 meters of braking, and a whopping 2.5 seconds spent on the brakes: this is one of the key points for overtaking, where the Formula One cars often risk going off track at the Baku City circuit. Turn 3 is also demanding, with an initial speed of 325 km/h and an exit speed of 97 km/h, with a maximum deceleration of 4.3 G.

Finally, turn 16 involves a speed differential from an initial speed of 270 km/h to a final speed of 127 km/h, with 4.1 G of deceleration and a maximum pedal load of 133 kg. With these characteristics, all teams will have to pay close attention to the temperature of the brake discs and brake calipers, as pointed out by Brembo ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix next weekend.