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F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix preview: Racing near Medieval walls on city streets

The F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on regular streets allows some of the fastest speeds in the season.

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Racing by Medieval walls in the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Formula 1 / Formula 1

The F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is held from September 13 to 15 in Baku, the capital city. The event kicked off Friday with Free Practice 1 (FP1) and Free Practice 2 (FP2), which found humid temperatures, a slippery city street circuit, and three red flags during FP1. This is the 17th of 24 Grand Prix races in the F1 2024 schedule. FP3 and the Qualifying session are on Saturday, and the Grand Prix is on Sunday.

Why the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is important

View of the F1 racing circuit and team pits in the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Following the exciting Italian Grand Prix two weeks ago, unexpectedly won by home-track Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, the 2024 F1 Driver and Constructors Championships are both still up for grabs, a surprising state of affairs after Red Bull’s dominance early in the season. Points earned by the drivers determine both championships, and the point count is close among the top contenders.

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Every race matters in F1 racing, but driver and team morale can also make a difference. The momentum of winning can be a significant factor in subsequent races. After Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the season’s first four races, many thought Verstappen and Red Bull would sweep 2024’s top spots as they did the three previous years.

Red Bull and Verstappen are still ahead in points. However, the McLaren and Ferrari teams have narrowed the gap in team points to less than 40 points. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc threaten Verstappen’s fourth championship.

What to expect in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Red Bull F1 race car on racing circuit in the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a city circuit on regular streets lined by protective barriers for the race. The picturesque 3.7-mile circuit passes close to stone Medieval walls and stunningly designed modern buildings in the seaside city. It varies in width from six to two lanes and has two lengthy straits that allow some of the fastest speeds in the F1 season.

F1 2024 team and driver standings

Constructor Championship Points:

Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 446
McLaren Mercedes 438
Ferrari 407
Mercedes 292
Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 74
RB Honda RBPT 34
Haas Ferrari 28
Alpine Renault 13
Williams Mercedes 6
Kick Sauber Ferrari 0

Driver Championship Points:

Max Verstappen Red Bull 303
Lando Norris McLaren 241
Charles Leclerc Ferrari 217
Oscar Piastri McLaren 197
Carlos Sainz Ferrari 184
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 164
Sergio Perez Red Bull 143
George Russell Mercedes 128
Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 50
Lance Stroll Aston Martin 24
Nico Hulkenberg Haas 22
Tsunoda RB 12
Daniel Ricciardo RB 12
Pierre Gasly Alpine 8
Oliver Bearman Ferrari 6
Kevin Magnussen Hass 6
Alex Albon Williams 6
Esteban Ocon Alpine 5
Guanyu Zhou Sauber 0
Logan Sargeant Williams 0
Franco Colapinto Williams 0
Valtteri Bottas Sauber 0
Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Former Contributing Editor
Bruce Brown Contributing Editor   As a Contributing Editor to the Auto teams at Digital Trends and TheManual.com, Bruce…
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