Is it safe to say that everyone’s already collected their breaths after the wild race we just had in Monza?
If so, then let us refocus and prepare for yet another race in our sights, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix set to deliver exhilarating street-circuit action that SBOTOP Formula 1 fans clamour for.
McLaren and Red Bull are once again favourites to lead the pack, although both teams must take long and hard looks at themselves for failing to realise their expected results at the Italian Grand Prix.
The Woking outfit were outsmarted and, frankly enough, caught napping as Ferrari worked out a one-stop strategy to perfection. Red Bull, meanwhile, are still looking to capture a perfect weekend, with a victory eluding them since their Spain triumph back in June.
With Baku offering the right mix of long straights and complex corners, this circuit has always been one to watch in the Formula 1 calendar.
You’re probably as excited as I am for this one, and who wouldn’t be? After last race’s spectacle, it’s safe to say that now’s a good time as any to be a fan of Grand Prix racing.
Frederic Vasseur isn’t letting Ferrari get too ahead of themselves
Charles Leclerc’s victory in Monza was just as sweet and invigorating as his 2019 win on the same track. It seems as if every time Leclerc puts his red car on the top step of the podium, in Ferrari’s home race no less, the occasion and the celebration are unlike any other.
“Honestly it’s quite difficult to understand the impact of the upgrade on a track like Monza because we are in a different configuration compared to the rest of the season that it’s quite difficult to understand,” he told the media after the race.
Indeed, Ferrari brought upgrades to Monza that worked to perfection—like putting in a new floor to lessen the car’s porpoising issue.
But since Monza presents a unique nature as compared to typical race conditions, Vasseur, whilst glad of the win, still feels there’s much work to be done.
“I think it would be a huge mistake to try to draw any conclusion or to change the plan. And so as you said, it’s a very long way until Abu Dhabi and that we have something like 415 points on the table, I don’t know, It’s so tight, the fight, honestly,” he added.
Will McLaren take over the lead in the constructors’ championship?
Their cars were coloured silver, with a British Formula 1 icon in Jenson Button and a youthful Kevin Magnussen driving for them. That was the situation when McLaren last led the constructors’ championship some 10 years ago.
Now the time has largely changed in Woking, but their aspiration to claw their way to the pinnacle of the sport remains a priority. And come race day in Baku, McLaren can do just that.
Still second in the constructors’ standings behind Red Bull, McLaren have been staving off the lead at the top for the nth week running, and are now only eight points behind the leaders.
And it doesn’t help Red Bull’s cause that their last win dates back to June in Barcelona, and that both of their drivers are currently performing on the different ends of a spectrum.
Regardless if team boss Andrea Stella won’t be able to have a driver for a champion come Abu Dhabi (because of the ridiculousness of the ‘Papaya Rules’), McLaren can take solace in the fact that the battle for the constructors is much closer, and they could be awarded a first constructors’ title since 1998.
History
Every race staged in Baku—since its inception in the Formula 1 calendar back in 2016—has been filled with drama and action that’s enough to keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
Who can forget the 2017 incident between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, when the former drove alongside the latter to hit him after Hamilton apparently brake-tested Vettel during the race.
It was also in the same race where Valtteri Bottas pipped Lance Stroll in the main straight on the final lap, stealing the second-place away from the then Williams rookie.
The year after was also a spicy one, this time with the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo coming into blows in the circuit’s main straight, effectively ending the pair’s race.
Pole position also doesn’t guarantee a win on this track, with four of the last five pole-sitters (three of whom were Leclerc’s) unable to take the victory.
What are the odds?
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 odds have Lando Norris at 2.72 to win, whilst any other drivers are priced at 1.40.
And with the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2024 news revealing that McLaren have finally come to their senses and given way to a lead driver, the likelihood of Norris winning inches closer.
But never count the rest of the pack out.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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