The 2021 Formula One season continues in Baku with round six – find all the latest information and odds below,
From one street circuit to the next – from Monaco to Baku. Baku too was left off the 2020 calendar and has provided a mixture of good and bad races since the race was first held in 2016. Let's hope for a bit more action than we saw in Monte Carlo.
Baku, Azerbaijan GP
When is it, date, and time?
The first and second practice takes place on Friday, June 4 with final practice and qualifying on Saturday, June 5. The 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is on Sunday, June 6.
The first practice starts at 2:00 p.m. IST on Friday, followed by the second practice at 1:30 p.m. The final practice on Saturday is at 2:30 p.m. with qualifying at 5: 30 p.m. The race itself starts at 5:30 p.m on Sunday.
On what channel can we watch F1 in India?
In India, Star Sports Network covers the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Tune in to Star Sports Select 2 or Select 2 HD at 5:30 p.m for the live telecast of Azerbaijan GP. Formula 2 fans can watch on Eurosports SD or HD channel.
Live Coverage will also be available on our Website, lap to lap race with in-depth review will be covered. Coverage will start at 5:15 p.m.
Make sure you follow us on our Instagram Page to get informed when we goes LIVE.
What do we know about the Baku City circuit?
- Circuit length: 6.003km
- First grand prix: 2016
- Laps: 51
- Race distance: 306.049km
- Race lap record: 1:43.009 (Charles Leclerc, Ferrari - 2019)
- 2019 winner: Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
- Number of corners: 20
- Overtaking chances: From turn 16 through the pit straight and into turn one is the best, by far. Get a good exit from the tight turn 16 and then there's a very good chance of getting the car ahead if they are close enough. As it's flat out for 25 seconds if you do it too early, though, and they can pick up a tow once you've overtaken them. Into turn three is possible as well but with walls in close quite risky.
So far this season it has been too close to call between Mercedes and Red Bull and ultimately between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. At least until the Monaco Grand Prix, anyway, when Mercedes were well behind Red Bull – and behind even Ferrari – and Hamilton finished a worrying seventh.
What of Baku, then? It is another street circuit but with very little in common with the slow-speed and tight and twisty streets Monte Carlo. It would be a surprise if Mercedes struggled quite as much as they did in Monaco, though tyre warm-up may be an issue as it was in Monaco. The 'point and squirt' nature of the track, with its many short, 90-degree corners could hamper Mercedes again.
What about Ferrari? Again Monaco is unlikely to be that representative of Azerbaijan or indeed the rest of the season. They could be ahead of McLaren this time but Baku is a slightly peculiar circuit, too.
In short: Perhaps Red Bull may be marginal favourites, with the gap to Ferrari and McLaren a bit further behind.
-by Amaan Attar
0 Comments