AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX

WHAT TO EXPECT

Round 15 lands on Baku's street circuit, and there's an unusual quirk this year: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix runs on Saturday, moved off Sunday to respect Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day. Baku's character is a study in contrasts — a monster main straight and heavy Turn 1 braking zone that reward slipstreaming overtakes, wrapped around a tight, walled castle section where a single mistake summons safety cars and virtual safety cars that scramble strategy. Fan reaction in the sources is split: some blast it as a poor, low-overtaking track with messy VSC timing and predictable one-stop tyre runs, while others expect the usual late chaos. Expect a weekend that hinges on timing luck as much as pure pace.