McLaren Racing – Everything you need to know about the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

From one street circuit to another.

Despite all the similarities between the Circuit de Monaco and the Baku City Circuit, with their slow corners and implacable obstacles, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is ​​a very different challenge than the one we faced in Monaco a fortnight ago. Baku is much faster and is home to one of the longest straights on the calendar. Unpredictability is a normal thing in Formula 1 racing on the streets of the Azerbaijani capital, so be prepared for the unexpected.

So that you are ready for our weekend on the Caspian Sea coast, we have put together our latest preview. Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren F1 Team Principal Andreas Seidl face the challenge that is waiting for you, a must-have this summer.

So follow you

What you say

“It was a great feeling to be on the podium for the team in Monaco after a successful weekend. We are trying to maintain this positive dynamic on our way to Baku. I’m looking forward to jumping in the car and doing a second race in a row on another street circuit. Baku is a unique race with a mixture of long straights and slow corners that make it an exciting challenge to master. It’s also unpredictable as you always feel like there will be opportunities, so we have to be ready to make the most of them when they come up to us.

“The competition around us has some great fights on the track. We have to keep applying pressure to get the most out of the car and avoid trouble, because there is little room for error on street circuits. The key for us is to find Konstanz all weekend in order to go home with a good score on Sunday. “

“Monaco wasn’t my weekend, but I want to relax. It was important to take the time to reset and refocus before heading to Baku. The team and I worked hard in simulation to understand, analyze, and pinpoint the key areas that we need to improve. We know the car has good potential, we just have to put all the pieces together to unlock it. There is still that element of adapting to a new car that with the more time and mileage behind the wheel is sure to come. I’ll keep working, building on the progress we’ve made in Portugal and Spain, and trying to feel at one with the car.

“Baku is a really cool street circuit and one of those races where anything can potentially happen. The track is known for having one of the longest straights on the calendar that allows three cars to drive side by side when you enter the first corner. Hopefully we can get the car into the right window right from the start on Friday and have a solid weekend. “

“After an eventful weekend in Monaco, where we stood on the podium for the second time in five races, our focus is now on another exciting street circuit in Baku. Thanks to the hard work of the entire team, both at the plant and on the track, together with our colleagues from Mercedes HPP, we are continuing to have a good start to the season. However, we have to stay focused and try to consolidate our performance from race weekend to race weekend. It is critical that we maintain reliability, make the right calls, and get the most out of our package in order to stay in the highly competitive battle with our competitors.

“It’s great to come back to Baku after missing out on the pandemic last season. Compared to Monaco, Baku has very different characteristics that make it a different challenge this weekend. The contrast in the layout provides for an unusually long straight for a street circuit with numerous slow corners that offer opportunities and challenges for the teams. Finding the optimal balance will be crucial in order to get the most out of the car. The general nature of street circuits also leaves no room for error. We’re ready to race this weekend and fight for some good points. “

What the statistics say

If you add his two F2 trips here, Lando has never landed outside the points on the streets of Baku. Speaking of getting out of the points, Lando is currently in a series of 10 consecutive top 10 finishes that date back to last year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. On the two previous occasions he was on the podium in Formula 1, on his next assignment he followed with a top 5 result. After Daniel scored points at the first Baku Grand Prix, known as the European Grand Prix, Daniel followed in 2017 with a win that only finished 17th at one point in the race.

Choice of tire compound for the Azerbaijan GP

What to look out for

“Baku is a very different track from Monaco, even though it is a street circuit,” says McLaren F1 Director, Strategy and Sporting Randy Singh. “The long straight in particular makes it much more sensitive to performance. Engine power and drag have a much stronger effect than in Monaco.

“Normally we see overtaking maneuvers on the 2.2 km long straight. Due to its length, it is a little less performance-dominated, as the chances of overtaking increase due to the slipstream of the vehicle in front.

“Pirelli is bringing the softest tires to Baku this year. In 2019 we used C4-C2, this time C5-C3, so it will be interesting to see how well the C5 holds up. It could end up being a qualifying tire that you don’t necessarily want to go into the race with.

“There is also a relatively high chance of a safety car, but we could have said that for Monaco too. Who would have thought that we would have a safety car in the first four races, but not there ?! “

Weather forecast for the weekend

What to wear

The sun is shining in the sky
There is not a cloud in sight
It has stopped raining, everyone is involved
And don’t you know
It’s a beautiful new day.

Meteorological summer is here folks, and Mr. Blue Sky showed up on time. When the sun is shining, not only does life look a little better, it’s also an excuse to wear sunglasses: the only piece of fashion that is guaranteed to make you look cooler. We have partnered with SunGod to bring you a collection of limited edition sunglasses that should match your style this summer. Each pair features SunGod’s 8KO lens technology and ultra-light, durable frames, while adding a touch of papaya and the McLaren Speedmark.

Plus one

Competition time! Almost…

We have a great competition planned for this week, but we can’t tell you what it is just yet. You still have to get stuck a little, but we promise it will be worth it. Sign up for McLaren Plus below to ensure you are the first to know the details and have a chance to win.

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