7 Reasons Why The Baku F1 Race Was A Failure

“I would be very surprised if it’s a dull and boring race,” Daniel Ricciardo said last Saturday, after qualifying for the European Grand Prix in Baku. How wrong he was. There were high expectations for Sunday’s new F1 race in Azerbaijan, with predictions of chaos, safety cars and drama ahead of lights out.

But what we actually saw was a pretty boring, dull and processional race, which lacked the buzz and hype of others we have watched so far this season. But why did it fail to deliver the expectations? There are a few reasons…

1. Tyres aren't soft enough

Pirelli previously said it would reserve the new, softest compound in its 2016 Formula 1 range – the ultra-soft – for street tracks and circuits with low grip levels. With the Baku race taking place on the streets of Azerbaijan’s capital and the expected high track evolution, it seemed strange the ultra-soft wasn’t picked by Pirelli.

Instead the medium, soft and super-soft compounds were. The latter two worked particularly well in race conditions but they were too durable, leading to many of the leaders completing one-stop strategies.

Some opted for two, with higher track temperatures leading to quicker wear rates, but overall the tyre choices took too many strategy options away from the teams. And cars battling on different tyre compounds with different wear rates, often out of position, can create some great racing and on-track action, something that was missing last Sunday (which I predicted before the weekend had even started).

2. GP2 chaos

I think we all got a bit too caught up and carried away with the excitement of the Baku GP2 races, which were full of all kinds of mayhem, chaos and drama. Of course that was going to be the case - these are young drivers in the same cars. Of course it is going to be exciting.

Many thought we’d see a lot of safety cars and crashes during the F1 race too (myself included) but the F1 drivers learned from those feeder races and were always going to be less chaotic: the cars are different, the performance gaps are bigger and the drivers have much more experience.

3. Style but not substance?

The Baku City Circuit is pretty damn impressive. Well, the backdrop anyway. With the narrow section by the Old City walls and the beautiful architecture, it certainly looks good. The long straights also helped with a bit of overtaking but in general the track features a lot of 90-degree, medium-speed corners with not particularly big braking zones.

It’s not the stereotypical track when it comes to producing exciting racing so maybe we should have expected less from the actual layout itself. But it looks pretty, and that’s always a bit of a bonus.

4. Le Mans clash

Baku qualifying started at the same time as Le Mans and the 24-hour race ended just as the F1 race began; hardly ideal for those who wanted to watch both. Plus, with media and fans focusing on one or the other, or splitting time between the two, it was always going to take some shine off Baku, regardless of the racing.

5. Mercedes dominance

The fact is the Baku track suited Mercedes beautifully, the long straights and medium-speed corners complemented the W07’s dominant power unit and strong chassis. It was always going to be a great track for them and that took away from some of the racing we have recently seen, where rivals Red Bull and Ferrari have been closer. We actually barely even saw race winner Nico Rosberg on TV and Lewis Hamilton’s recovery drive stalled with some engine issues and radio confusion.

6. Predictable passes

The 90-degree corners and tight confines of parts of the track meant passing really only took place into the first and third corners, after the two DRS zones. The overtakes on the main straight were almost inevitable due to its sheer length; even the Renault-powered cars were making moves with ease. Perhaps looking into tightening some of the turns and apices for future races (to create heavier braking zones) could help.

7. No Maldonado

Because Pastor would have helped spice it up, wouldn’t he?

Overall, a lot of us had high expectations for the European GP’s return in Baku. The track and event itself certainly looks spectacular – the backdrop and way it was all presented and run – but the on-track action itself just failed to deliver what we wanted and thought we’d see.

After his comments the previous day, Ricciardo’s post-race remarks summed the race up pretty well:

“Today was a bit unexpected. got everyone’s hopes up yesterday by saying it could be the race of the season. It was, however, pretty uneventful.”