Official 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

Official 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

Author
Discussion

Piginapoke

Original Poster:

4,736 posts

184 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
Let’s all hope that the Azerbaijan GP offers more excitement than Bahrain. It should be a great opportunity to see Ferrari make a mess of team orders again but, for the sake of the championship, let’s hope the team can find the speed to beat Mercedes on what is always a dramatic race.

Date(s): Friday 26 April 2019 - Sunday 28 April 2019

UK Broadcast Timings (and local time)

All sessions are live on Sky F1; only highlights are shown on Channel 4:





Live timing for all sessions available here:

https://www.formula1.com/en/f1-live.html

Lap times, PU component use, technical reports and Stewards' decisions for the weekend will appear here:

https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formula-one-world-c...

Weather forecast:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/587084

Tyre Choices:



2018 Qualifying Result:



2018 Race Result:



2018 race highlights:

https://youtu.be/9oxwkTKNM1Q

Lewis Hamilton was handed victory in a madcap finish to a chaotic, incident-strewn Azerbaijan Grand Prix during which both Red Bulls sensationally collided with each other.
Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas was on course to win after Mercedes took advantage of a late safety car to jump long-time leader Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.

But, after Vettel had thrown away second place with a mistake at the restart, Bottas suffered a puncture on the next lap.

His two rivals out of the way, Hamilton was given victory and the championship lead on a plate after looking set to finish third.


Edited by Piginapoke on Monday 22 April 10:17

TheDeuce

21,275 posts

65 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
All predictions off the table for me at this race, anything can happen here and something highly unexpected normally does - Williams took 4 points last year!

It would be nice to see max have a good day and maintain, or even increase the points lead he has over both Ferrari drivers - just to keep the pressure on.

It will also be interesting to see the rookie drivers tackle this sort of track on anger too.

No doubt it will as enjoyable overall as it nearly always is.

Edited by TheDeuce on Monday 22 April 08:51

tight fart

2,872 posts

272 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
Fastest race lap 4 sec slower than qualifying, thats a disgrace to the sport.

TheDeuce

21,275 posts

65 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
tight fart said:
Fastest race lap 4 sec slower than qualifying, thats a disgrace to the sport.
Why? It's a tight circuit time lost battling other drivers early on, and a need to manage tyres for the rest of the race. How is it avoidable?

Not wishing to open the tyre deg can of worms...

Deesee

8,331 posts

82 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
Most Podiums in Baku Sergio Perez.. no one else has stood up there more than once.

Expect to see a mixed up top 5/10, safety car incidents etc.

Mclaren very quick in a straight line, might compete here top 5.

Battle of the MGU H here, you need that excess heat driving the K down the straights without having to rely on the battery.

Merc have had more fuel than needed at race end for the last 3 races, who will be tempted to under fuel for safety car/s, and be quicker early.

Will Ferrari bring a new PU?

Stuart70

3,910 posts

182 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
tight fart said:
Fastest race lap 4 sec slower than qualifying, thats a disgrace to the sport.
Surely depends on tyre strategy and race situation towards the end of the race, when fuel load is lower. Lots of circumstances. I recall the race as carnage, but not the detail of it... what riled you particularly?

exelero

1,890 posts

88 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
Deesee said:
Most Podiums in Baku Sergio Perez.. no one else has stood up there more than once.

Expect to see a mixed up top 5/10, safety car incidents etc.

Mclaren very quick in a straight line, might compete here top 5.

Battle of the MGU H here, you need that excess heat driving the K down the straights without having to rely on the battery.

Merc have had more fuel than needed at race end for the last 3 races, who will be tempted to under fuel for safety car/s, and be quicker early.

Will Ferrari bring a new PU?
According to the F1 2018 game the full 105 kg fuel tank is enough for -6 laps so fuel management will be required. It’s a game so I don’t know if it’s real but they can put more fuel in this year.
Grosjean won’t get past the first corner tho wiping out like 3 different people in the process

mk1coopers

1,199 posts

151 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
The race fastest lap time probably won't look so far off this time with the extra point for the lap, not a race I'll get to see live as it's 'drive it day' still at least the car I'm driving doesn't have a radio so no spoilers unless they do one of those annoying announcements of the results (with the following loud sigh from all the people that didn't wan't to know in the crowd)

Edited by mk1coopers on Monday 22 April 09:24

Deesee

8,331 posts

82 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
exelero said:
According to the F1 2018 game the full 105 kg fuel tank is enough for -6 laps so fuel management will be required. It’s a game so I don’t know if it’s real but they can put more fuel in this year.
Grosjean won’t get past the first corner tho wiping out like 3 different people in the process
There are some clever chemists in the labs, they will bring a denser fuel, but it may be a challenge for some, they will need the H to power the K, expect some experimenting in FP1/FP2.

Grosjean needs to start from the pit lane.

audi321

5,157 posts

212 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
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And I’ll be there!! Anyone else going?

My brother lives there so thought it would be a good idea to visit this weekend smile

Has anyone been before? Got any tips?

rdjohn

6,135 posts

194 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
I think Baku will be make-or-break time for Ferrari.

If they do not have a very strong showing here, I think they could implode with the repercussions.

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
I think we’ll see a fascinating mid field battle with some low drag concepts to try and gain ground over one another.

TheDeuce

21,275 posts

65 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
rdjohn said:
I think Baku will be make-or-break time for Ferrari.

If they do not have a very strong showing here, I think they could implode with the repercussions.
Not sure I see a 'make' opportunity for them here, given the points deficit and the very slim chance of any team having a 1-2 here, simply due to hardly anyone enjoying a completely incident free and smooth race on this track.

If Mercedes outclass them again I would agree it's likely broken them though. It would easily be mathematically possible to win this season still... But statistically hugely unlikely.

exelero

1,890 posts

88 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
Not sure I see a 'make' opportunity for them here, given the points deficit and the very slim chance of any team having a 1-2 here, simply due to hardly anyone enjoying a completely incident free and smooth race on this track.

If Mercedes outclass them again I would agree it's likely broken them though. It would easily be mathematically possible to win this season still... But statistically hugely unlikely.
I just hope they will let Charles get on with it, or that he would go HAM way saying,, I'm not gonna slow down for him, if he can catch me I'll let him pass but I won't slow down"

TheDeuce

21,275 posts

65 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
rdjohn said:
I think Baku will be make-or-break time for Ferrari.

If they do not have a very strong showing here, I think they could implode with the repercussions.
Not sure I see a 'make' opportunity for them here, given the points deficit and the very slim chance of any team having a 1-2 here, simply due to hardly anyone enjoying a completely incident free and smooth race on this track.

If Mercedes outclass them again I would agree it's likely broken them though. It would easily be mathematically possible to win this season still... But statistically hugely unlikely.

Kizmiaz

230 posts

87 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
TheDeuce said:
rdjohn said:
I think Baku will be make-or-break time for Ferrari.

If they do not have a very strong showing here, I think they could implode with the repercussions.
Not sure I see a 'make' opportunity for them here, given the points deficit and the very slim chance of any team having a 1-2 here, simply due to hardly anyone enjoying a completely incident free and smooth race on this track.

If Mercedes outclass them again I would agree it's likely broken them though. It would easily be mathematically possible to win this season still... But statistically hugely unlikely.
Thankfully I'm not a Ferrari fan but it must be heart breaking to see the season slipping away already.
How many beatings can they take? What's next?
Sack SV? Sack the management again?
I would love to see them take the fight to Mclaren but as previously mentioned I think they are already broken.
Maybe now the moustache has gone things will improve (he looked like George from George and Mildred).

Deesee

8,331 posts

82 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
No one has claimed a WDC and not won one of the first four races..

Fundoreen

4,180 posts

82 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
One of my favourite races of the year now.
That sonic boom echo as the cars go down the long drag is awesome.
What that dunderhead from liberty was thinking slagging it off when they took over the sport is anyone's guess but he soon shut up.
Probably a bit rough on the luxury side judging by DC giving it a miss.

Deesee

8,331 posts

82 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
Fundoreen said:
Probably a bit rough on the luxury side judging by DC giving it a miss.
Baku is 5* central (oil centre).

(My favourite race of the year without doubt).

shirt

22,508 posts

200 months

Monday 22nd April 2019
quotequote all
I went to Baku the first year and would be there now if it wasn’t for work (currently lording it up in west Africa lol). The city does luxury pretty well and at a reasonable price to boot. Great city for a weekend away with an f1 race included, will be back there again i’m Sure