Azerbaijan is one of the newest additions to the Formula 1 calendar, hosting a race since 2016. Architect Hermann Tilke again went to work, designing a 6.003-km street circuit in the capital city of Baku. The track is the second-longest on the calendar after Spa-Francorchamps. As the circuit is not a permanent race track, grip, or the lack of it, plays an important role. The track must first be rubbered in. Having plenty of mechanical grip is also important in this respect so that drivers can power out of the 90-degree corners. Last but not least, engine power is also a decisive factor at Baku, especially in view of the long straight towards the end of the lap.
The Baku Street Circuit has a very long straight where cars develop some of the highest speeds in the entire F1 calendar and the full throttle part starts even earlier, after the last true corner number 16. The Azerbaijan track demands completely opposite characteristics of the car in the individual track sectors – the first sector consists of four corners at 90 degrees and a moderately long straight between the second and third corner where the first DRS zone is located. The second sector consists of as many as 11 corners, requiring maximum grip, stability and precision in the car while the third sector consists of a slow 16th corner and a full throttle period to the end of the lap, requiring as little aerodynamic resistance as possible.
The speed at the end of the first and second sectors virtually doesn’t mean anything to estimate the speed on the straight as the measurements are in the braking zone – the end of the first sector is 46 meters before the fifth corner, and the end of the second sector is 56 meters before the turn 16. But the speed at the end of the third sector (the speed at the starting fimish line) speaks a lot about car’s top speed, as it is located almost at the end of the straight.
Scuderia Ferrari may now have the most powerful engine in Formula One. For the whole of the ‘power unit’ era since 2014, Mercedes has clearly led the way and won every world championship. But Auto Motor und Sport claims that Ferrari has caught up in 2018: “GPS measurements show that in terms of engine performance, Ferrari has caught up with Mercedes,” the report said. Mercedes increased mileage from 5,000 to 8,000 kilometres (per engine), but Ferrari found even more power over the winter.” Auto Motor und Sport added.
The race in Baku will be a new major challenge for the Maranello team’s power unit, in a race in which Red Bull will most likely be in a clear disadvantage in the fight with Ferrari and Mercedes, as the long straights on the Baku City Circuit will expose Red Bull’s straight-line speed disadvantage when F1 visits the track next week. While on paper Mercedes seem favourites to bounce back in Azerbaijan, Ferrari will be hoping to confirm the strong straight-line speeds in Shanghai last weekend and successfully challenge Mercedes in a race which could prove that the Italian side has indeed caught up in 2018.
One other major factor ahead of the race on Sunday, as also confirmed by Pirelli, is that the 2.2 kilometres long straights at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku could cause a standing wave trouble that can become a threat to a complete tyre failure in extreme circumstances. The estimated average lap speed of 211kph (131.1mph) shows a lap time of around 1’42.37. This would resulted slowest flying lap of the current F1 calendar, but faster than Circuit of the Americas.
2.2 kilometres long straights, expected to have a high top speed, with cars reaching 340kph as they pass the pits and reach the braking zone for turn one on Neftchiler Avenue. This would be the sixth-highest on the current F1 circuit.
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