2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku, June 04 - 06

[Herr_Koos]

Was it this circuit where Renault really attacked with two different set ups last year where Ocon was mega in sector 1 and Ric mega in sector 3?

Unlikely, since the race wasn't run last year.

Yep, definitely mixing up with Monza.

What really won the lap time last time we were here- was it all horsepower and low drag or was there more to the tricky section that meets the eye?

Interesting question. Looking at the 2019 results, it appears horsepower was king, since Merc and Ferrari were comfortably quicker than Red Bull. Merc stayed ahead by virtue of having a better car in the twisty bits, I'd say, even though Ferrari may have had more grunt with their tricked-out 2019 PU. The race result is closer than it would have been due to the inevitable safety cars bunching up the field.

[El Scorchio]

Carrying the most speed through corners 16-19 is going to be absolutely key. No idea which car(s) would be strongest there.

[velizare]

How is the tyre life here again?

Graining is a thing here?

not really. its a street track, with next-to-zero grip, tyres used to last forever. however there is that larhe straight, which cools all of the tyres, so they arrive to the braking point with cold tyres. besides that its a walk in the park regarding tyres.

[Just_a_fan]

Carrying the most speed through corners 16-19 is going to be absolutely key. No idea which car(s) would be strongest there.

Traction out of T16 is probably the key point. Get that right and you gain all the way down to T1. Get it wrong and you're going to open to mugging by anyone within a couple of seconds behind you if they get good traction. T17-19 are basically acceleration zones.

[El Scorchio]

Carrying the most speed through corners 16-19 is going to be absolutely key. No idea which car(s) would be strongest there.

Traction out of T16 is probably the key point. Get that right and you gain all the way down to T1. Get it wrong and you're going to open to mugging by anyone within a couple of seconds behind you if they get good traction. T17-19 are basically acceleration zones.

That's what I thought. I just couldn't remember whether 17 onward were taken more or less flat or not so I thought I'd better cover my bases! Completely agree 16 is the key, though.

[Sieper]

I hope we won’t have headwind on the straight. Or maybe I do. But it is a major factor on being able to get out of the grasp of your chaser or not.

[Just_a_fan]

I guess the headwind/tailwind preference will depend on the presence or otherwise of a "self adjusting rear wing".

[Stu]

How is the tyre life here again?

Graining is a thing here?

not really. its a street track, with next-to-zero grip, tyres used to last forever. however there is that larhe straight, which cools all of the tyres, so they arrive to the braking point with cold tyres. besides that its a walk in the park regarding tyres.

If that is the case, Mercedes could be absolutely nowhere this weekend (with their advantage of not boiling the tyres up)?
I’m looking forward to a really racey race.
A podium for Lando again??

[dans79]

Here is a good overview of how to gain and loose time on in Baku!

[godlameroso]

From a driving point of view this track is in fact deceptively technical, there is a technique that must be used to extract the lap time.

The most important aspect of the track in terms of lap time are the obvious straights, in the race a good lap time can be had with approximately 312-322kph down the main straight, which means a medium downforce configuration.

The less obvious aspect of lap time is in the braking phase, not particularly the initial braking phase. While a tenth or two can be gained with late braking, this is more than negated by the amount you gain on corner exit. Therefore it is the brake release point that is the most important on this track. The brake release point and the car's entry angle to the corner will contribute more to lap time than any other late braking heroics in every single place except the castle turn.

Every corner will be taken quickest if the proper entry angle and brake release are used, as the car will be able to straight line the corner as much as possible. Because there are such long straights after every corner, all the time is gained on getting the perfect exit that will let you be fastest in the sections between corners and straights.

The brake release and steering inputs happen before and after you have passed the apex.

To make things even more interesting every corner has a slight kink on approach making the driver focus on the entry angle just that little bit more.

Formula 1 agrees with me?

[Jackuar]

From a driving point of view this track is in fact deceptively technical, there is a technique that must be used to extract the lap time.

The most important aspect of the track in terms of lap time are the obvious straights, in the race a good lap time can be had with approximately 312-322kph down the main straight, which means a medium downforce configuration.

The less obvious aspect of lap time is in the braking phase, not particularly the initial braking phase. While a tenth or two can be gained with late braking, this is more than negated by the amount you gain on corner exit. Therefore it is the brake release point that is the most important on this track. The brake release point and the car's entry angle to the corner will contribute more to lap time than any other late braking heroics in every single place except the castle turn.

Every corner will be taken quickest if the proper entry angle and brake release are used, as the car will be able to straight line the corner as much as possible. Because there are such long straights after every corner, all the time is gained on getting the perfect exit that will let you be fastest in the sections between corners and straights.

The brake release and steering inputs happen before and after you have passed the apex.

To make things even more interesting every corner has a slight kink on approach making the driver focus on the entry angle just that little bit more.

Formula 1 agrees with me?

Formula1 got it from you

[zibby43]

How is the tyre life here again?

Graining is a thing here?

not really. its a street track, with next-to-zero grip, tyres used to last forever. however there is that larhe straight, which cools all of the tyres, so they arrive to the braking point with cold tyres. besides that its a walk in the park regarding tyres.

If that is the case, Mercedes could be absolutely nowhere this weekend (with their advantage of not boiling the tyres up)?
I’m looking forward to a really racey race.
A podium for Lando again??

While the circuit isn't abrasive, it has plenty of grip (for a street circuit) in most sections, and it is fairly demanding on the tires (a 3 on Pirelli's 1-5 scale) from a load perspective. In short, there's plenty of opportunity to energize them.

Also, it's going to be unseasonably warm in Baku this weekend (27 C on quali day). Merc will be fine from a tire perspective.

[RZS10]

Huh ... do they want to avoid red flags/SCs because of crashes in that choke point at any cost?

[Herr_Koos]

Huh ... do they want to avoid red flags/SCs because of crashes in that choke point at any cost?

Interesting decision. You could still misjudge the corner and whack the opposite barrier, of course, but this does provide a bit more breathing space.

[Tizz]

I read so many predictions and arguments. Many of them sound plausible and anyone of them could prove to be true depending on a large variety of very local circumstances. I myself are curious to see how it ends as there is still a lot of uncertainty as to which cars are better/worse on which type of track.

It's a pity they took away the kerbs at T8... Was good for a fair bit of stunts and shunts