6 Problems With The European Grand Prix In Baku

Azerbaijan’s capital Baku hosts its first Formula 1 race this weekend as the European GP returns to the series, but while it is a unique venue, there are some potential problems with it
6 Problems With The European Grand Prix In Baku

1. Clash with Le Mans

6 Problems With The European Grand Prix In Baku

This is a biggie for motorsport fans. It seems ridiculous that the F1 race in Azerbaijan was scheduled for this weekend, knowing full well it would clash with the famous Le Mans 24 Hours - one of the “big three” alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500. Something’s not quite right there…

Le Mans begins just as Baku qualifying starts and the 24 hour race ends just as the lights go out for the F1. Hardly ideal for fans eager to get their FIA World Endurance Championship and F1 fixes. It is a real shame, but fortunately there are plenty of hours of Le Mans racing to watch, in case anyone misses part of it.

The Baku City Circuit has a beautiful backdrop and brilliant setting, taking in the modern and old sites of Baku. The track itself has some fascinating sections but one thing that annoys me is the number of 90 degree corners.

It seems 70 per cent of the turns on the circuit are pretty much the same, whether they go right or left being the only difference. I get that designing a street track and turning normal roads into a challenging venue is no easy task, but these turns are hardly going to promote overtaking.

Most of them come after medium-length straights but the braking zones won’t be heavy enough to really give drivers a chance to make a move. It’s all a bit repetitive. Sebastian Vettel said after trying it out in the simulator: “It looks exciting in some parts and others a bit more straightforward….”

3. Human rights record

6 Problems With The European Grand Prix In Baku

F1 and human rights have been mentioned in the same sentence more times than you might think, the series racing in South Africa under apartheid and in Bahrain are two examples of the topics coming together.

Oil-rich Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku may look glitzy and glamorous but the county’s human rights record has been heavily criticised (journalists critical of the government have been imprisoned) and put under intense scrutiny, particularly after securing headline events like the European Games and F1.

4. Narrow track

6 Problems With The European Grand Prix In Baku

F1 passing by the Old City walls in Baku will definitely be a spectacular and unusual sight, but the extremely narrow section between the eighth and 11th corners also throws up several concerns. Firstly, if a car crashes or breaks down there, the red flag will have to be waved because there is simply not enough room to get cars through while recovery work is underway.

The barrier there also looks particularly low and an airborne car could potentially damage the old walls. We certainly hope that doesn’t happen, but there are always these kind of worries. Because it’s F1, who knows what could happen? Even FIA race director Charlie Whiting admitted it could prove tricky when recovering cars.

5. Durable tyres

6 Problems With The European Grand Prix In Baku

Pirelli said the new ultra-soft tyre, the softest in its 2016 F1 range, would be used mainly on street tracks but for some reason it won’t make an appearance Azerbaijan. Instead the medium, soft and super-soft tyres will be used. As we saw in Monaco and Canada, the compounds have strong durability and on the low grip Baku track there is a risk that drivers will be locked into one-stop strategies. Let’s hope not, because strategy has played a crucial part in the exciting racing so far in F1 2016.

6. GP2 + Baku = chaos?

6 Problems With The European Grand Prix In Baku

We love a bit of chaos in F1 feeder championships but it all gets a bit tiring when there are constant red flags and safety cars. GP2 returns to action in Baku and a street track with some narrow sections and plenty of unknowns is a little concerning. We usually see lots of mayhem on permanent race tracks, what will we see this weekend in Azerbaijan?

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While there are some concerns over the event, it is good to see F1 visiting new venues and bringing another street track into the fray. The layout itself is interesting, there are some quick sections, the narrow complex near the Old City walls is unique to say the least and there is no denying the fact there are some stunning backdrops throughout the lap. Baku mixes old and new and is a gorgeous location for race cars speeding around city streets. Hopefully it will prove me wrong and produce a good race.

What do you make of the race? Let us know in the comments below.

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Comments

Sharpy

Dat gap bro

06/17/2016 - 01:02 |
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Caro

You think #4 is bad? Macau’s Guia Circuit is more than 1/2 2 cars wide and at one sector it goes 1 car wide, then has an extremely tight hairpin, and is back to 1 car wide until it opens into a much wider high speed sector.

06/17/2016 - 01:35 |
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Kay Man

Baku seems like a much more tighter version of Monaco. All the teams will have to dig deep in qualifying if they want to finish in a decent position because this track will be won from those qualifying times. Let’s hope we don’t see the same c*ck up from RedBull if a pit stop is needed.

06/17/2016 - 02:27 |
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Anonymous

My personal opinion is that it will be very interesting race to see 😶

06/17/2016 - 04:30 |
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Anonymous

It will be epic, even better if the Mclaren Honda from Alonso let VTAAAAAAK kick in! Because we every Know, Alonso is the real champion

06/17/2016 - 05:43 |
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Arnold-3SGE

No Formula one for me this weekend. Im watching the 24h of LeMans non stop with loads of coffee and energy drink ☕️🍼

06/17/2016 - 09:12 |
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how are you watching it?

06/17/2016 - 11:12 |
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Hevar

Just want to know what Kimi thinks of it and how many laps it would take Maldonado to crash if he still would be in F1.

06/17/2016 - 13:16 |
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James Davis

The narrow twisty bits in the old town make a difference compared to other new (boring) tracks like sochi/abu dhabi

06/17/2016 - 13:19 |
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panor86

I think the narrow corner behind the castle is cool, I want see the them passing in high speed.

06/17/2016 - 14:57 |
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AL1-07

I normally don’t watch qualifying because its often predictable so it works out for me. Who knows good F1 streaming sites btw? I’m in the US

06/17/2016 - 21:50 |
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