One of the new events in the Formula 1 calendar, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has gained a reputation as a race that can cause confusion in the previous eight editions. One of the drivers who saw both sides was Valtteri Bottas, and the winner of the 2019 race is Baku’s guide to laps.
“I have good and bad memories of Baku. Remember the last punk I’ve had when I lead in 2018!
“For me, what makes this place special is always an unpredictable race. Very often, very interesting. It’s hard to predict the yellow flag, the safety car and what will happen next. It’s exciting.
“And the track itself is very fast for street circuits. And there’s the longest flat-out section, which means slipstreaming and overtaking are good.
Bottas got a balance along the way to get a Mercedes victory in 2019. Jerry Andre/Getty Images
“It’s definitely not one of the more difficult tracks on the circuit. There are really no high speed corners that are right. All the high speed corners, they’re completely out. But it’s a technical track, as it’s almost a 90 degree corner and there are some slow sections like the castle.
“That’s bumpy too. And it’s one of the more technical ones because it’s a street circuit and there are some wide lines and there are different grips in different places.
“It’s pretty unique. I say, it goes long and straight. Sometimes it feels like there’s no end. It’s pretty cool because you can’t see the buildings or anything, it feels like a central sector or a castle section, a regular street track, but the final stretch is very special.
“The only annoying thing here is that you arrive with cold brakes so often. Therefore, the first bite of the brakes is never 100%, which makes it even more difficult to find the best brake point for Turn 1.
“The key section for me is the last sector. Usually it’s a little more exposed to the wind. It’s the last proper corner on Turn 16 before leaving a long straight. The corner before that – Turn 15 features a downhill.
Baku’s old and new wild mix matches with long, fast straights and tight slow corner combos. Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
“In races, it’s usually really dominated by aging at the rear. We have some races with bad particle problems and it’s usually very difficult to lead the rear to the front balance in terms of wear profiles. So, as a driver, you need to change your driving a little.
“You can play and play with the setup using a little more front tire, but that’s the same thing. If it’s not hot, you tend to struggle with the front tires, especially on the cooler side of the surface, when they’re braking.
“It’s always a downforce level compromise here, but that’s not easy in that sense, how much confidence you want to feel in the corners, and how competitive you want to play against other cars, and that’s not easy in that sense.
“I’ve always enjoyed it. Like I said, I had good memories and horrifying memories, but it’s always an exciting race. And usually, we feel like we’re doing very well here.”
At a glance
Race distance: 51 laps/190.9 miles
2024 pole time: 1M41.365S (Charles Leclerc, Ferrari)
2024 Winners: Oscar Piastri, McLaren Mercedes
Pirelli tire allocation: Pirelli brings the softest trio of 2025 to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This is a softer step than last year. In fact, the C6 has returned as a soft one, and is already in use in Imola, Monaco and Montreal. C5 is the medium and C4 is hard.
A street circuit with low grip and wear inevitably created a one-stop strategy when it brought the same choice as in 2024. At least, this year’s range is much less from gaining particles, it opens up the possibilities of a two-stop strategy. Furthermore, this year, recently at Monza, it is clear that it is unlikely that the race will see very different strategies, as teams and drivers are proficient in managing their tires well. Although it’s a street truck, Baku has a very long straight that causes the car to hit a very high top speed, causing a large vertical load to be applied to the tires.
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Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix Weekend Schedule (All Times et):
Friday, September 19th
4:25 AM – 5:30 AM – First practice, ESPNU
7:55am to 9am – Second practice, ESPNU
Saturday, September 20th
4:25 AM -5:30 AM – 3rd practice, ESPN2
7:55 am -9:00 -am-qualifying, ESPN2
Sunday, September 21st
8:55 am -11:00 am -Azerbaijan Grand Prix (51 laps or 120 minutes), ESPN