- Spherical 17 of the 2024 System 1 season will get underway this weekend in Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea
- The race is held on the three.7-mile Baku Metropolis Circuit
- Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Franco Colapinto each crashed throughout observe
Spherical 17 of the 2024 System 1 World Championship takes place this weekend in Baku, residence of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The race is the ultimate European spherical on the calendar, and its distinctive location, the Baku Metropolis Circuit, makes it one of the vital in style with followers.
The Hermann Tilke-designed avenue circuit stretches 3.7 miles and options the important thing traits of a 1.3-mile straight and a protracted pit lining the sting of the Caspian Sea, coupled with some tight corners in Baku’s historic metropolis middle. Drivers change gears 64 instances, greater than at some other circuit on the calendar.
The Baku Metropolis Circuit will be described as a mixture of Monaco and Monza, as a result of the part of observe within the previous city’s slender maze of streets is just like that of the principality, whereas the lengthy straights and heavy braking zones should not not like what’s discovered on the Temple of Pace in Monza’s Royal Park. No observe on the calendar has extra braking zones of over 2 g.
Baku Metropolis Circuit, residence of the System 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Downforce ranges are among the many lowest of the season, however Baku has no high-speed corners to place power via the tires. The problem for groups is to shave off as a lot downforce as doable, whereas guaranteeing the tires are labored arduous sufficient to stay at optimum temperatures. Pirelli has nominated its three softest compounds, the C3, C4, and C5.
The climate forecast requires wonderful circumstances for each Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race. The height temperature will hover round 80° F.
A Friday observe session noticed some drama with each Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Williams rookie Franco Colapinto crashing.
Going into the weekend, Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen leads the 2024 Drivers’ Championship with 303 factors. McLaren’s Lando Norris is second with 241 factors and Leclerc is third with 217 factors. Within the Constructors’ Championship, Crimson Bull leads with 446 factors. McLaren is second with 438 factors and Ferrari is third with 407 factors. Final yr’s winner of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was Sergio Perez, driving for Crimson Bull.
