2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku, Sep 13-15

[AR3-GP]

We're due a safety car.

[Mcl_G10]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

[bluechris]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

All the thoughts are given of the possibility that they fixed the Barcelona update at last. In the last races (not only Monza), they had done improvements and the car seem better. They arent were they want but especially in Baku we have saw in the previous years that at least in Qual, Leclerc seems on it perfectly fine so in conjuction with the overall better race pace that they have lately, they reach easily this conclusion.

[Chuckjr]

Expecting a Leclerc pole & win. Leclerc dominates this track

Think that McLaren/Ferrari will duke it out while RB will be close with Merc

+1

[Sevach]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

The track is just Monaco with a huge straight, it doesn't play to Mclaren's strengths.

With that said i agree that SCs can majorly influence results here.

[basti313]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

All the thoughts are given of the possibility that they fixed the Barcelona update at last. In the last races (not only Monza), they had done improvements and the car seem better. They arent were they want but especially in Baku we have saw in the previous years that at least in Qual, Leclerc seems on it perfectly fine so in conjuction with the overall better race pace that they have lately, they reach easily this conclusion.

I do not think it is car (technical) related. Ferrari just executed very well in the last races.
These were no podiums that were given by the strength of the car. Without RedBull taking a day off in Hungary, Russel in Q...or the penalties for Ver and Rus, the day off for Nor, they would not have been in these excellent spots. They simply did not make the same errors as the others.
That being said...they also did not do the strategic error of overusing the tire in Monza and were helped by three tracks that made overtaking surprisingly hard.

The only problem is, that this will not help much in Baku as the strategy is not in any question. Only safety car luck can help. And on a track where you can overtake the Q, well timed undercuts and track position do not play such a big role.

The track is just Monaco with a huge straight, it doesn't play to Mclaren's strengths.

I think that is the big Ferrari straw. The results are not super clear as both Ferrari had DNFs in the last years, but one can see a correlation in the results. Who was strong in Monaco also did well in Baku looking at the car performance.
I do not see how McLaren was bad in Monaco. If they would have been ahead, they would have disappeared into the distance. Their only problem was that Ferrari could play the game as Merc did in 2013 with running as slow as possible.
I think the McLaren is the car to beat with Ferrari on a solid podium following the Monaco-Baku theory.

[Bill]

Expecting a Leclerc pole & win. Leclerc dominates this track

Think that McLaren/Ferrari will duke it out while RB will be close with Merc

+1

how many times has charles won on this track for a guy who allegedly dominates it

[bluechris]

I think Baku in comparison to Monaco, is more bumpier right? i mean all the teams will need to raise the height of their cars which will make them not to have the most optimal setup.

[bananapeel23]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

Ferrari at the front is mostly due to Ferrari and especially Leclerc historically being very, very good around Baku, at least in qualifying. Leclerc getting the 2021 pole and both 2023 poles in Baku means people have very high expectations, especially when the 2024 car is so much more competitive in race trim.

Sector 2 is also very similar to Monaco in terms of corner speeds and bumpiness, so Ferrari being amazing in Monaco means they will almost certainly be the best there.

Still we might see Leclerc lose out on the pole, but the car should be fairly good around here and almost certainly a frontrunner.

how many times has charles won on this track for a guy who allegedly dominates it

Charles has never had a car capable of winning it apart from 2022 when his engine exploded. He dominated it in F2 though (Pole, P1 in FR and P2 in reverse grid sprint, fastest lap in both) and has only ever gotten pole (2021, 2022, 2023, 2023) or put it in the wall (2019) for Ferrari. He got P6 in a Sauber in his debut season as well.

[F1NAC]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

Ferrari at the front is mostly due to Ferrari and especially Leclerc historically being very, very good around Baku, at least in qualifying. Leclerc getting the 2021 pole and both 2023 poles in Baku means people have very high expectations, especially when the 2024 car is so much more competitive in race trim.

Sector 2 is also very similar to Monaco in terms of corner speeds and bumpiness, so Ferrari being amazing in Monaco means they will almost certainly be the best there.

Still we might see Leclerc lose out on the pole, but the car should be fairly good around here and almost certainly a frontrunner.

We'll see. Remember, after Monace they brought problematic Spain upgrade which hurted preformance of the car. It remains to be seen if they fixed problems with this package. Montreal was right after Monaco and it was bad.

[Xyz22]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

Ferrari at the front is mostly due to Ferrari and especially Leclerc historically being very, very good around Baku, at least in qualifying. Leclerc getting the 2021 pole and both 2023 poles in Baku means people have very high expectations, especially when the 2024 car is so much more competitive in race trim.

Sector 2 is also very similar to Monaco in terms of corner speeds and bumpiness, so Ferrari being amazing in Monaco means they will almost certainly be the best there.

Still we might see Leclerc lose out on the pole, but the car should be fairly good around here and almost certainly a frontrunner.

how many times has charles won on this track for a guy who allegedly dominates it

Charles has never had a car capable of winning it apart from 2022 when his engine exploded. He dominated it in F2 though (Pole, P1 in FR and P2 in reverse grid sprint, fastest lap in both) and has only ever gotten pole (2021, 2022, 2023, 2023) or put it in the wall (2019) for Ferrari. He got P6 in a Sauber in his debut season as well.

Also, even the F1 75 was slower than the RB18 in race trim.

[Vanja #66]

Also, even the F1 75 was slower than the RB18 in race trim.

It wasn't, they were on different strategies on Hards and after both pitted he had 17s advantage over (previous leader) Perez before his engine blew up

[Xyz22]

Also, even the F1 75 was slower than the RB18 in race trim.

It wasn't, they were on different strategies on Hards and after both pitted he had 17s advantage over (previous leader) Perez before his engine blew up

It was difficult for him to keep up with Perez (who was significantly slower than Max in that race) in the first stint, and Max was easily in the DRS.

Moreover, Sainz in around 8 laps lost almost 8s on Perez. Sainz also said in the radio said "the RB are quick" while Leclerc said he was struggling with the car, especially in S2.

[Vanja #66]

It was difficult for him to keep up with Perez (who was significantly slower than Max in that race) in the first stint, and Max was easily in the DRS.

Moreover, Sainz in around 8 laps lost almost 8s on Perez. Sainz also said in the radio said "the RB are quick" while Leclerc said he was struggling with the car, especially in S2.

He kept the gap to Perez at 2s flat without DRS. Max was in Leclerc's DRS the whole time and couldn't overtake. RBs were lapping at the same pace like he did on Hard, with 7-8 laps less worth of fuel less. Sainz is incomparable to Leclerc in Baku, all 3 races so far proved this

[Mcl_G10]

Have to say I'm very surprised that so many people are making ferrari being at the very front such a given. Is this just heavy optimism regarding the monza upgrade? Because otherwise it's a bit of a leap for so many to see ferrari as favourite. Idk, maybe I'm misguided.

Saying that I think anybody of 5 or 6 drivers can win depending on safety car and timing of stops etc.

The track is just Monaco with a huge straight, it doesn't play to Mclaren's strengths.

With that said i agree that SCs can majorly influence results here.

In what way does it not play to mclarens strengths? If anything there strengths are the fact they have no weaknesses (other than strategy calls)