The Baku City Circuit is the fourth longest Formula One Grand Prix track on the calendar, yet it has few corners with most at 90 degrees. Throw in the mix one of the longest start-finish straights and it has many a F1 technician scratching their heads. Such is the challenge facing the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team this weekend with the running of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“Baku is a circuit with a very unique character that throws up difficult questions for our engineers when we seek the best set-up,” comments Tim Goss, Racing Bulls Chief Technical Officer. “It has an extremely long start-finish straight combined with a tight twisting section of a more traditional street circuit.
“Naturally on the straight we are driven to lower rear wing settings, whilst on the street section the set-up demands the downforce and grip of a larger wing.
“Getting the compromise right is something F1 teams have got to grips with, but it still doesn’t take away the difficulty for the driver, having to negotiate some 90 deg low speed turns, and the twisting kerb riding section of Turns 8 to 12 with a lower than ideal downforce setting.
“On top of that, braking into Turn 1 has to be achieved with cooler brake temperatures after the long straight. With the lower demands on the tyres, Pirelli bring their softest compound selection; the C6, C5 and C4 to encourage two-stop strategies. Tyre graining is a risk at Baku and with the tyres being one step softer than last season we will have to be careful on set-up and driver management to make the most of our race strategy. We love a challenge and we are up for it.”
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson has been there competing in both the 2021 and 2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship, even finishing on the podium in the 2022 Sprint Race.
“I’ve never raced here in Formula One, but I have in F2, which I really enjoyed,” said Lawson. Despite a tricky weekend in Monza, the momentum from the team has been very good recently and the car has been fast, so I’m looking forward to debuting in an F1 car this weekend.”
Can the team carry the momentum they have enjoyed in Europe? Teammate Isack Hadjar thinks so.
“The last two race weekends of the European season have obviously beaten our expectations. We delivered great performances and I believe that we have good momentum to start the flyaway races. Looking at Baku this weekend, I think the track is a lot different to what we have seen so far, so it will be important to reset and get ready to fight in a track I haven’t raced yet in an F1 car.”
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