2024 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview: Final Race in Europe
The 17th round of the 2024 F1 World Championship will be held this weekend in Baku, home of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The race is the final European race on the F1 calendar, and its unique location at the Baku City Circuit has made it a fan favorite.
The street circuit, designed by Hermann Tilke, is 3.7 miles long and features a 1.3-mile straight, long pits lining the edge of the Caspian Sea, and several tight corners in the historic city center of Baku. Drivers change gears 64 times, more than at any other circuit.
The Baku urban circuit can be described as a mix between Monaco and Monza. This is because the maze of old city streets is similar to the Principality of Monaco, but the long straights and intense braking zones are not unlike the Hall of Speed in Monza's Royal Park. Downforce levels are at their lowest this season, but Baku lacks the high-speed corners that give energy to the tires. The challenge for the teams will be to shave off as much downforce as possible while still allowing the tires to work hard enough to maintain optimum temperatures. Pirelli has nominated the three softest compounds, C3, C4, and C5.
The weather forecast calls for good weather for both qualifying on Saturday and the race on Sunday. In Friday's free practice, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Williams rookie Franco Colapinto crashed out.
Heading into the weekend, Bull Racing's Max Verstappen leads the 2024 drivers' championship with 303 points. McLaren's Lando Norris is second with 241 points and Leclerc is third with 217 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull leads with 446 points. McLaren is second with 438 points and Ferrari is third with 407 points. Last year's Azerbaijan GP winner was Red Bull's Sergio Perez.
