McLaren and Ferrari wings catch the eye in Baku as Alpine take bold approach

Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in a McLaren sandwich

The final third of the Formula 1 2024 season kicks off this weekend in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

This street circuit, known for its unique characteristics, has a reputation for delivering unexpected results, where the fastest driver doesn’t always take the win. As a result, excitement is always guaranteed at this venue. Let’s dive into how F1 teams are preparing for this race, who this track might favor, and what we can expect over the weekend.

Baku – The City of Winds

Baku has been on the Formula 1 calendar since 2016, initially as the European Grand Prix before adopting the name of the host country. The street circuit stretches 6.003 km, with 20 corners, and on Sunday, drivers will complete 51 laps.

What’s different this year is the timing. The race usually took place in April, but F1 has made adjustments to streamline the calendar and reduce the logistical demands for teams, which also helps cut down on the environmental impact of transportation. With this change, the temperature is a key variable – Baku in September is significantly hotter than in April, and it’ll be interesting to see how this affects tyre wear and car performance.

Speaking of tyres, Pirelli has selected the softest compounds for this race, as is typical for street circuits: C3 as the hard tyre, C4 as the medium, and C5 as the softest.

The track itself is quite distinctive. The first seven corners are almost 90-degree turns, followed by a passage through the old city. This section is slow and requires excellent grip, and it’s here where you’ll find the narrowest part of the F1 calendar: Turn 8, which is only 7 meters wide.

Then comes the third sector with a massive 2km straight, where cars hit their top speeds – this is also the most common overtaking zone. It was here that Valtteri Bottas set an incredible speed record in F1, reaching 378 km/h during qualifying in 2016.

This section demands a completely different aerodynamic setup compared to the second sector, so teams will need to strike a balance between the necessary downforce for the slow corners and the long start-finish straight. DRS zones will also play a crucial role in how teams can optimise their performance.

To add to the complexity, Baku is notorious for its winds, which can change direction unpredictably due to the city’s architecture, often catching drivers off guard.

In Azerbaijan, we’re likely to see a one-stop race strategy, assuming there are no safety cars. Last year, most drivers started on medium tyres and later switched to the hard compounds, which have proven to be the most reliable on this circuit.

F1 2024: How the head-to-head battles stand going into Baku

F1 2024: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

F1 2024: Head-to-head qualifying record between team-mates

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Aerodynamic set-ups revealed

As mentioned earlier, teams need to adapt to both the long start-finish straight, which makes up nearly a third of the track, and the tight corners.

Because of this, teams have opted for low to medium downforce aerodynamic packages. McLaren and Ferrari have brought the most aggressive rear wings, and we’ll see how much that will cost them on the straights.

On the other hand, Alpine has taken the opposite approach, bringing a very low downforce version of the rear wing.

Configuración de ala trasera para Baku

Rear wing configuration for Baku pic.twitter.com/8SlAiLgkX8

— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) September 12, 2024

Y 4 más

And 4 more pic.twitter.com/tPbAGGCJ9v

— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) September 12, 2024

We saw very similar rear wings in Belgium this year, but this time, the teams have “extended” the DRS plates. This will likely be an attempt to gain enough grip in the slow corners while achieving excellent top speeds when the DRS system is activated.

Which teams will thrive in Baku?

Baku is famous for its thrilling races and surprise winners. An interesting stat is that the average margin between first and second place here is just 5.235 seconds – but if we exclude Max Verstappen’s dominant 20-second win in 2022, the average gap shrinks to just 2.282 seconds, a remarkably close finish given the length of the circuit.

With the gap between the top four teams shrinking over recent races, the fight for victory will be fierce. Interestingly, the only driver to have won more than once here is Sergio Perez.

However, this track might not suit the current Red Bull car. Street circuits often present bumps and uneven surfaces, which don’t favor the RB20’s suspension setup. Additionally, Red Bull struggled with top speed at the last race in Monza, which is crucial in Baku. They aren’t the dominant force they once were, and it would be a surprise to see their drivers in the fight for the win.

The one top team that could benefit from this layout is Ferrari. Their excellent top speed will be a huge advantage on Baku’s long straight. Ferrari also brought significant upgrades that worked well in Monza, making this race a true test for them.

They’ve also excelled on the softer Pirelli compounds. If they can avoid losing too much time in the slow corners of the second sector, Ferrari could be back on the podium.

Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions will be fascinating to watch, as teams are likely to experiment with different front and rear wing setups and other aerodynamic components in search of the best balance.

We also can’t forget about McLaren, who has had the fastest car for several races now. Despite their poor top speeds, McLaren has managed to gain massive advantages on other parts of the track, neutralising this weakness.

Monza was a perfect example, where McLaren drivers had the worst top speed in qualifying but still secured P1 and P2. The MCL38 will likely be the fastest car again, but the real question for the papaya team is whether they can turn that advantage into a win.

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