It will be an all or nothing weekend in Baku, due to the new format of the Sprint which forces drivers and teams to review their programs when they have to compete two qualifications and two races. The Azerbaijani circuit usually gives a show because of its conformation that winds between the walls of the Old City and the more modern part where there is a very long straight. From a Fanta F1 perspective, the revised format of the Sprint will not lead to major changes. However, the Sprint is one more opportunity to collect extra points.
Some teams have decided to bring more substantial updates to Baku despite the unknown Sprint. Others have only made changes to adapt the single-seater to the needs of the circuit. This weekend, with only one Free Practice session available which will take place on Friday morning, in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each team, we will be able to rely only on what we have seen up to the spring break, but above all on luck! However, let's try to give a brief overview of who should line up and the forecasts for the Baku Grand Prix.
Who to deploy
Despite the pause it's hard to think of that Ferrari has made up much ground on Red Bull and Aston Martin who remain the favorites for the top two positions of the powerhouses on track in Baku. However, some unknowns, such as the limited time available for setting up the car, and the gearbox problems highlighted by Red Bull could give us the first real twist of the season. Mercedes and Ferrari are both candidates for the podium, a goal that only the Brackley team has achieved between the two. Compared to last season which saw an F1-75 at ease especially in the tortuous part of Baku thanks to excellent traction the SF-23 could struggle more. There will be no major updates on the SF-23 but the team is counting on future developments.
In the midfield McLaren has brought an updated background by taking the first big step of the season that started with more difficulty. News that should bring the MCL60 back to its ideal form. However, on such a busy weekend, McLaren's move could prove counterproductive. Who wants to surprise is Alpine, which has left behind the episode between Ocon and Gasly which cost the team the best result of the season, and says it is ready to reach Mercedes already from Baku and Miami thanks also to the updates. In more backward positions Haas may have more problems, as well as AlphaTauri, struggling to find speed. A strong point of the team, however, could be De Vries who despite his debut with F1, has collected excellent results in the past in Baku.
In conclusion here are the five drivers we field for the Baku Grand Prix on a 100-credit basis:
Verstappen, Alonso, Gasly, DeVries, Albon
Our predictions
For predictions we can indulge ourselves. The weekend could reserve us several surprises. So let's see our choices.
Safety Car: YES
Virtual Safety Car: YES
Red Flag: YES
Drivers unmark wet/full wet tires in the race: NO
Team double in the race: NO
Driver who starts from pole wins the race: YES
Stables to bring both riders into the top 10: 4
Drivers forced to retire: 4
