Formula 1 is well into the second half of its season and both championship battles are becoming tighter with each race.
McLaren have capitalised on development opportunities to rein in Max Verstappen and Red Bull, and are just nine points away from overtaking their rivals in the constructors’ championship.
Baku’s narrow and unforgiving street circuit punishes the smallest mistakes, and with the field so close, it looks set to be another tight battle for the podium.
The forecast is predicted to be hot and settled, with highs of 30°C on Friday and Sunday, and partially cloudy on Saturday.
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The governing FIA has confirmed all 2024 front wings are legal after Red Bull and Ferrari raised concerns about the designs of McLaren and Mercedes’ cars.
Adrian Newey puts pen to paper at Aston Martin, plus Baku GP preview | Listen to the latest podcast episode.
Circuit stats and history
Despite street circuits becoming increasingly popular in Formula 1, Baku remains a standout event on the calendar. It is the only F1 track to skirt around a UNESCO world heritage site, with the section around Turns 8, 9 and 10 lined by the walls of the city’s charming old town.
When the circuit first joined the race calendar in 2016, race organisers tarmacked over cobbled streets with the intention of lifting the temporary asphalt each year, but ultimately decided to leave the track surface in place.
The long pit straight, which includes the high-speed kinks of Turns 18, 19 and 20, sees cars reach speeds in excess of 220 mph and invites overtaking at Turn 1. Races have a tendency to be either utterly chaotic or somewhat routine, but with the walls so close and the speeds so high, a race-defining safety car is only ever one small mistake away.
Laps: 51 laps of 6km. Total distance 306km
Lap record: 1:43.009, Charles Leclerc (2019)
Most wins: Sergio Pérez (2021, 2023). Daniel Ricciardo (2017), Lewis Hamilton (2018), Valtteri Bottas (2019), and Verstappen (2022) have also won here.
Most poles: Leclerc with three consecutive (2021-2023). Bottas (2019), Sebastian Vettel (2018), and Hamilton (2017) have been on pole here.
What happened last year?
Baku hosted a sprint weekend in 2023, with Leclerc taking pole position for both the shortened-race and the full-length grand prix. Despite the impressive pace of the Ferrari over a single lap, Red Bull had a significant advantage in the races and Pérez took victory in the sprint as Verstappen made contact on lap one with George Russell. Pérez won the grand prix as well, with help from a well-timed safety car on Lap 10.
The 2023 event didn’t showcase the best of what Baku can offer, but a moment of mandatory chaos played out on the final lap when Esteban Ocon entered the pits for a late tyre change only to find it full of photographers jostling for the best place to shoot the podium.
Who’s going to win?
With Red Bull’s performance continuing to wane, last year’s double victory is no guarantee of how Sunday’s grand prix will play out.
In theory, Ferrari should be quick, especially in the hands of Baku specialist Leclerc, and the team will be looking to build on its emotional victory at Monza two weeks ago. But with McLaren looking fast at every type of circuit right now, the safe money is on either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri to win — with or without team orders.
How to watch the GP
Watch on ESPNEWS and ESPN+ (U.S. only) — view the schedule.
Live broadcast coverage in the U.K. is on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
For news, analysis and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN’s F1 team Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson in Baku and on social media.
Friday
Free practice one: 10:30-11:30 BST
Free practice two: 14:00-15:00 BST
Saturday
Free practice three: 09:30-10:30 BST
Qualifying: 13:00-14:00 BST
Sunday
Race starts: 12:00 BST.
How the championships look
The gap has reduced again after the Italian Grand Prix but Max Verstappen remains a comfortable 62 points ahead of Lando Norris in the drivers’ championship.
The constructors’ championship, however, is tantalisingly close. McLaren have closed to within eight points of Red Bull.
