Azerbaijan GP 2023: Can Max Verstappen become first driver to win twice at Baku?

Published at :April 27, 2023 at 10:50 PM

Modified at :December 13, 2023 at 1:01 PM

(Courtesy : GPFans)

The track has seen five different race winners in as many editions.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing star driver with two wins in three races this season is gearing up for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Azerbaijan GP 2023). The Baku City Circuit has been on the Formula 1 roster since 2016.

The first race at Baku was an edition of the 2016 European GP, in which Nico Rosberg of Mercedes took the race in a brand new circuit, while Sebastian Vettel finished second, after this in 2017 the circuit from then onwards hosted the Azerbaijan GP.

No driver since its inaugural race has been able to win back-to-back races in this circuit, it has an anti-clockwise layout and narrow passes as the track opens to old city roads have often created difficulties for drivers to repeat their successful performance.

With a mixture of long straights, slow technical sections and no margin of error due to close proximity of walls, it has offered a great challenge for different teams for preparing proper plans for Baku City Circuit.

Red Bull has dominated at Baku GP with three victories out of five races, Verstappen also had a successful voyage in the last season after Ferrai’s both drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz retired in the race, eventually Red Bull had a one-two finish in the 2022 edition.

There is interesting trivia coming to the 2023 race at Baku, in 2018, Hamilton won the race, but in the next season, he finished in the second spot, while in 2021 Red Bull’s Sergio Perez won the race but in 2022 finished as runner-up.

Max Verstappen obstacles for 2023 Baku GP

This time it will be not an easy ground for the ‘Flying Dutchman’ as this time in Baku, the opening of six sprint scheduled races for the 2023 F1 season will begin from here. Whereas the F1 sprint race debuted back in 2021, this time it will be a standalone event.

From the last two seasons, Sprint races result would determine the starting order of Sunday’s main race, but this time Free Practise (FP)1 and the qualifying session on 1st day (Friday) will determine the grid position for the main race.

On the 2nd Day (Saturday) 100 km ‘Sprint Race’ and a preceding additional qualifying season will be determining the grid position for the 2nd day drag event, which will be called ‘Sprint Shootout.

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So, this half an hour race on 2nd day at Baku, with new rules, will hopefully allow drivers to push more at sprint races. Whereas defending champion, Max Verstappen will surely be the top contender to win main and sprint races at Baku Circuit.

The two-time world champion won two out of three sprint races scheduled last season ( 2022), and with crucial eight points awarded to the winner of the 100 km race on the second Day, he will surely be looking to take these points to increase his tally of 69 mark, for a more run among other drivers.

Mexican driver Sergio Perez and also Verstappen’s teammate, who won the Saudi Arabian GP is also chasing the 25-year-old in the Driver standings. Checo is in the second spot with 54 points this season.

Mercedes' seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton and veteran driver Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin surely troubled the Red Bull star driver in the last race at the Australian GP. Hamilton and Alonso finished in the second and third spots respectively.

In the last race with three red flags and a chaotic starting position, the reigning champion struggled initially but took the lead later and never gave away, so he will be confident after his last win and surely be targeting back-to-back wins at Baku.