Ferrari is taking an engine upgrade to this weekend’s grand prix on the streets of Baku.
After the Italian team dominated in Monaco, its title rival Mercedes hit back hard recently with a one-two in Canada.
Now, for the unique Azerbaijani venue incorporating a super-long 2 kilometre straight and 370kph top speeds, La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Ferrari is bringing an engine upgrade.
The newspaper said the development is part of the Scuderia’s "aggressive development plan" under technical boss Mattia Binotto’s direction.
The decision to bring it to Baku was reportedly on the basis of exceptional figures on the test bench.
It is a clear challenge to Mercedes after the Montreal fight-back, with former F1 driver Marc Surer agreeing: "They (Mercedes) must prove that they have the warming up of the tyres under control now.
"Baku is like Monaco but much faster, although I do not believe the tyres will be a particular problem this weekend," he told Germany’s Sky.
"The strongest engines will have a clear advantage with the long straights, so you’d have to feel sorry for Red Bull," Surer added.
"Ferrari is strong on every track, getting the tyres up to temperature all the time. So I see Ferrari with very good chances to fight back."