The sleek, high-rise backdrop of Baku contrasts with the twisty, technical street circuit that encircles an ancient, medieval city. A lap of the track is equally diverse – drivers tiptoe through the narrowest pincer-point on the whole F1 calendar, but spend more than two kilometres with their right foot planted hard on the accelerator pedal. Azerbaijan may be one of F1’s newer circuits, but its myriad challenges give off the vibe of an old-school street track.
Lance Stroll
“Baku is a place of special memories for me, it’s here that I scored my maiden podium in Formula One. It’s a complex circuit as it combines flat-out sections with tight corners in the middle sector, making the margin for error minuscule. We are continually progressing with our AMR21 and intend on building on our momentum from Monaco.”
Sebastian Vettel
“From Monaco, we travel to another street circuit, Baku – but it’s a very different challenge. You can overtake in Baku, and tyre degradation is much more of a factor, so, while Saturday remains important, finding a good balance for the technical sectors and the high-speed sections, while performing a strong race strategy, will be key to a good result. We’re coming here off the back of a good weekend in Monaco, and we want to maintain our momentum.”