Welcome back to F1 Weekend! After a long silence, we are ready for another thrilling race! We have not only race but also sprint. So buckle up and letś dive into the amazing Baku Circuit - Modern Classic where the Old meets the New! Welcome to the 4th race of 2023.
The Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Circuit, also known as the Baku City Circuit, is a relatively new addition to the Formula One racing calendar. The circuit is located in the heart of Baku, Azerbaijan, and is known for its tight turns and long straights, which make for some exciting racing action.
The Baku City Circuit was first introduced in 2016 and has since become a favorite among Formula One drivers and fans alike. The 6.003 km track is the second-longest street circuit in the world, with 20 turns and a top speed of around 370 km/h.
The circuit's layout is unique in that it features a combination of narrow winding sections and long straightaways. One of the most challenging sections of the track is Turn 8, which is a tight hairpin turn that leads onto a long straightaway. Drivers must navigate this corner at low speeds before quickly accelerating to reach top speeds on the straight.
Another notable feature of the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Circuit is its tight, narrow corners. The section between Turns 7 and 10 is particularly challenging, as drivers must navigate a series of sharp turns that require precision and control. This section of the track is also known for its tight barriers, which leave little room for error.
One of the circuit's most memorable moments occurred during the 2017 race, when Red Bull Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo won after a dramatic race that saw several crashes and safety car periods. The Australian driver managed to overtake Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes in the closing stages of the race, securing his fifth career win in Formula One.
The Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Circuit is not just known for its racing action, but also for its stunning scenery. The track winds through the streets of Baku, passing by landmarks such as the Old City and the Maiden Tower. Overall, the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix Circuit is a unique addition to the Formula One calendar. Its combination of tight turns, long straightaways, and stunning scenery make for an unforgettable racing experience for drivers and fans alike.
Enough of the facts, let’s look into the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix:
This week’s schedules is little more interesting than weeks before, because now we have our first sprint of this season. F1 has also added a new feature which is Sprint Shout-Out - something like qualifying before race. Find out more about Sprint in this video by F1 HERE.
On this premiere we saw Ferrari rising from the grave, with Charles Leclerc’s awesome performance during the weekend. During practice he had perfect results, later during qualifying he went full in and caught himself the best starting position for Sunday’s race. During Sprint and Sprint Shout - Out he did also very well, P1 during Shout - Out with broken car and P2 in Sprint.
Is Ferrari finally getting back into the game?
The biggest rivals of Ferrari, Red Bull, did not do bad at all, with Checo winning the Sprint race. The biggest drama of Saturday was probably after the Sprint, a little verbal exchange between Max and George, after little incident during the Sprint.
Other than that, this weekend is full of yellow and red flags with safety cars because of really tricky corners on this circuit. One of the red flag during Sprint Shout- Out was for Logan when he completely wrecked his car, leaving Williams with just one driver during Sprint.
Let’s not forget about the incident with Yuki and his tyre:
Now let’s dive into the most thrilling part - The Sunday Race:
Leclerc starting at the pole position next to Verstappen in second. Who will lead the race, let's find out as the light go out and off we go! Leading LEC!
LAP 1 - LEC in the lead, right behind him VER and PER and SAI in 4th. And YELLOW FLAG in the sector 1.
LAP 3 - LEC the fastest lap 1:47.656, VER overtakes LEC and is now leader of the race
LAP 4 - LEC and PER battle for 2nd , VER setting best time 1:47.083
LAP 6 - PER overtakes LEC with DRS and is second, with Ferraris in third and fourth
LAP 7 - PER setting fastest lap 1:47.073
LAP 8 - VER takes fastest lap then PER with 1:46.885
LAP 9 - battle for 5th - HAM, STR, ALO - HAM, NOR pits
LAP 10 - yellow flag in sector 1 and 2 - DEV crash, VER called to BOX - too early stop - big disadvantage for Red Bull
LAP 11 - SAFETY CAR is called - LEC pitting with PER and SAI with ALO, STR, RUS
LAP 12 - PER in first, LEC in second, VER in third with SAI in fourth and ALO in fifth
LAP 13 and 14 - safety car ended and LEC is fighting PER for first place but VER overtaking LEC and ALO overtaking SAI
LAP 15 - PER setting fastest lap - 1:45.798, PER - unsafe release during pit lane - will be inspected
LAP 17 - RUS unsafe release during pit also noted - going wheel to wheel with STR
LAP 20 - HAM overtaking STR
LAP 26 - time difference between LEC and VER is 12.5 second
LAP 30 - PER - VER- LEC - ALO - SAI - HAM - STR - RUS - OCO - HUL - NOR - TSU - PIA - ALB - MAG - ZHO - SAR - BOT - GAS, DEV out
LAP 31 - fight between ALO and LEC for 3rd, 20 laps to go
LAP 33 - GAS overtaking BOT
LAP 36 - SAI, HAM fighting for 5th
LAP 37 - ZHO is out
LAP 41 - HAM still trying to overtake SAI, 11 LAPS TO GO
LAP 44 - LEC sets the fastest lap 1:44.670
LAP 48 - MAG still on one tyres from the beginning
LAP 49 - VER setting fastest lap 1:44.566 and then ALO 1:44.241
LAP 51 - PER winning and RUS setting fastest lap
PER - VER - LEC - ALO - SAI - HAM - STR - RUS - NOR - TSU - PIA - ALB - MAG - GAS - OCO - SAR - HUL - BOT, ZHO and DEV out
What a race, good day not just for Red Bull fans but also the Tifosis of Ferrari!
Next week we are going to visit Miami with F1.
So till next time,
Natalie Kika
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