After muted results from the first double-header following the summer break, the week off between the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix has been much appreciated by both BWT Alpine drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.
The Baku GP has been a happy hunting ground for both drivers, with Pierre finishing on the podium in 2021 and Franco scoring his debut points at this track last year.
There is no other circuit quite like the Baku City Circuit. Drivers race through the UNESCO heritage site of the Walled City, better known to Formula One fans as the ‘Castle Section.’ Of the 6 km circuit, the final run is a 2 km straight, the longest on the calendar.
The track feels almost like two completely different circuits. The first seven corners consist of slow turns and 90-degree bends, before the castle section tightens the cars into the narrowest part of the track, just 7.6 m wide. At the Azerbaijan GP, car placement is everything. Get it wrong and your race will likely end in the wall.
The narrow nature of the track and the variety of its layout make results difficult to predict, with many surprising outcomes over the years.
Trak Facts
-
Length: 6.003 km (3.73 miles)
-
Direction: Counter-clockwise
-
Turns: 20
-
First Grand Prix: Hosted the European GP in 2016 and became the Azerbaijan GP in 2017
-
Race Distance: 306.049 km over 51 laps
-
Lap Record: 1:43.009 (Charles Leclerc, 2019)
-
High Speeds: Considered the fastest street circuit on the F1 calendar, with speeds reaching around 370 km/h
Pierre ready for next run of fly-away races
“I'm looking forward to getting back on track this weekend (...) It's a circuit – and a city – that I really love visiting and somewhere I've had previous success at with a podium finish in 2021 and also a podium in GP2 in 2016.”
With his fantastic understanding of the track with its “long straights and tight, narrow castle section combined with the high speeds and close walls” Pierre is looking to capitalise on the potential of “Chaotic moments.”
He’s also aware that “the car setup will be complex with a compromise needed between the track characteristics” considering the difference between the ‘new town’ & ‘castle section’ of the track. But as Pierre says, “Honestly, it's Baku – anything can happen.”
Franco looks to return to the points at the location of his points debut
“I am ready to go back to Baku, the place I scored my first points in Formula One last year. I am feeling good in the car at the moment, despite Monza being challenging for us as a team.”
He’s used the week off “to debrief and (...) visited Enstone last week to prepare for Azerbaijan this weekend.” Colapinto expressed his excitement at “driving with views of both the Old Town and the famous Flame Towers.” Suggesting that Baku was one of the “most enjoyable tracks to drive.”
He’s looking to see if he can make it two from two at Baku after finishing “in eighth place for my first ever points in Formula One” in 2024. Much like Gasly, Franco believes that “this weekend will be about setting ourselves up to be in a position to capitalise on the opportunities which are bound to arise from such a challenging circuit.”
What to look out for
Car Setup Balance: The track demands a compromise between straight-line speed and downforce for the technical sections. Get it wrong and the race could be either painfully long or very short.
Qualifying Chaos: With its narrow layout and tight corners, the risk of yellow and red flags is high. Drivers need to be quick and decisive in qualifying to avoid having their laps ruined.
Straight-Line Speed: With the longest straight on the calendar, a car in clean air with a low-downforce setup could be uncatchable down the main straight and across the finish line.
Trak Racer x BWT Alpine Formula One™ Team
Trak Racer proudly supports the BWT Alpine Formula One™ Team's efforts throughout the Formula 1 season. The TRX cockpit combines Trak Racer’s sim-racing experience with the expertise of the BWT Alpine Formula One™ Team’s engineers. As the only Formula One™ team-approved simulator cockpit, the TRX brings fans closer to the action than ever before.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.