Baku’s streets never fail to deliver thrilling racing action and with the Azerbaijan GP just around the corner, here are five key things to watch out for during the race.
- Lando Norris starting from P15
Lando Norris had a tough qualifying session after he encountered a brief yellow flag for the slow-moving Alpine of Esteban Ocon that meant he had to back off the pace. Despite a snap of oversteer in the final sector causing a slide, Norris felt that the lap “was easily good enough” to that point.
The shock Q1 elimination will see Norris start the race from P15, just behind his former McLaren teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the VCARB. Keep an eye on Norris throughout the race as he fights lower-drag cars at the back of the field and attempts to make it back into the points positions.
2. Lewis Hamilton & Esteban Ocon starting from the pitlane
Both Lewis Hamilton and Esteban Ocon will start the Azerbaijan GP from the pit lane due to taking new power unit elements after qualifying, exceeding their allowances for the season.
Hamilton is now on his fifth Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Turbocharger (TC), MGU-H and MGU-K, while Ocon has exceeded the limits for ICEs, TC and MGU-H. Can either of them carve their way back through the pack?
3. Both Williams cars fighting for points
In only his second Formula 1 qualifying session, Franco Colapinto impressed as he made it into Q3 alongside his teammate Alex Albon.
With both Williams cars starting within the top 10 as one of the fastest cars on the straights, will they be able to hold their positions and bring home a huge points haul for the Grove-based team?
4. Can Perez beat Max?
Sergio Perez out qualified Max Verstappen on Saturday as both drivers continue to fight an unbalanced RB20. After a recent turn of form, can Perez boost his confidence further by finishing the grand prix higher than his three-time world champion teammate Max Verstappen?
As the most successful driver around Baku, the Mexican driver definitely has the credentials to put in a podium-worthy performance around the Baku City Circuit.
5. Can Leclerc finally turn a Baku pole position into a win?
Charles Leclerc scored his fourth consecutive pole position in Azerbaijan yesterday, but after starting from the top spot in 2021, 2022 and 2023, he has never turned the position into a win.
But on a high after the events of Monza, could Leclerc have the momentum to keep the McLaren of Piastri far enough away and bring home another win for the Scuderia? The SF-24 looks rapid around the Baku City Circuit and Leclerc is currently just 24 points off Norris for P2 in the Driver’s Championship. If Norris fails to make it into the points positions and Leclerc wins the race, we could have a new title challenge on our hands…
