Bring on Baku!
There's a lot on my mind as F1 returns from its four-week hiatus...
F1 is finally back - and we’re heading to Baku in Azerbaijan.
Before I get into today’s newsletter, I do just want to say sorry. I’ve spent the past week moving houses, which sadly means I haven’t had as much time to focus on writing.
However, I wanted to make sure I got something out and I have, it’s just that it’s a bit more off the cuff than usual.
Essentially, this is a polished collection of all the things on my mind heading into the week…
We’re racing in Baku, Azerbaijan - and I don’t think it’s underselling it to say this street track is one of F1’s craziest.
History shows it serves up tantalising drama. We had a one-lap sprint to the end in 2021, the two Red Bull drivers collided in 2018, and the chaos from 2017 is still fresh in my mind.
It may be a relatively new track for F1, but it seems to have a special spark.
This weekend we’ll also get to see more racing than usual as Baku hosts 2023’s first “sprint” event. That means we get an extra race on Saturday before the main Grand Prix on Sunday.
But, according to ESPN and Motorsport.com, the way it all works will be slightly different than in previous years.
There used to be a qualifying session to set the order for the sprint, and then the outcome of the sprint would set the grid for Sunday’s race.
But that’s now been changed (reportedly) so the sprint has no bearing whatsoever on the race.
So, there’s a qualifying session for the Grand Prix on Friday, followed by another qualifying on Saturday for the sprint.
I’d be interested to know what you think of this concept. For me, it feels strange to have a short sprint race that has zero effect on the actual Grand Prix…
One thing I’ll also be keeping my eyes peeled for is new upgrades. The teams have just had four uninterrupted weeks to work on car development, so expect to see plenty of new bits in Baku.
According to The Race, Alpine is bringing an update that they hope will deliver a “reasonable step”. They say they’re chasing the lofty aim of reaching the level of Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin.
Meanwhile, Motorsport.com reports that McLaren is bringing the first of three major upgrades they have planned for this year.
And Sky Sports F1 says Aston Martin will have “their first real upgrades” of the year too, including a new rear wing.
The biggest news story on my radar heading into the weekend is that Mercedes have reshuffled their technical department.
Motorsport.com recently revealed that James Allison and Mike Elliott, both leading technical figures, have effectively swapped jobs.
This switch matters because it means Allison returns to his old job as technical director.
When he held that position between 2017 and 2021, Mercedes won five consecutive constructors’ championship titles.
No wonder Mercedes want him to return to a much more hands-on role…
F1.com described Allison as one of F1’s most talented technical minds and said that he has been “recalled to the coalface at Mercedes”.
Okay, now before I leave you, I want to tell you about a very cool Baku quirk. It was pointed out on Twitter this week by Molly Marissa that no one has ever won twice in Baku.
There have been six different winners since the race joined the calendar.
Nico Rosberg - 2016
Daniel Ricciardo - 2017
Lewis Hamilton - 2018
Valtteri Bottas - 2019
Sergio Perez - 2021
Max Verstappen - 2022
If the trend continues, then this weekend’s winner would probably have to be Fernando Alonso, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, or Carlos Sainz. They’re probably the only ones who can realistically cause an upset.
My fingers are crossed, are yours?
Interesting stat: Checo has the most podiums(4/6) at Baku of all the drivers