Set the scene for me.
Oh, boy—where to start? The Formula 1 world is still processing the news that design legend Adrian Newey will be joining Aston Martin next year. Hiring the most successful F1 brain ever (seriously, his career achievements over almost 40 years will blow your mind) is a real statement of intent for Aston, albeit a costly one at a reported £30 million per year. Worth it if they start winning though, right?
In the here and now, the title battle is ramping up with every race: Red Bull seems all at sea with its car, and that has allowed Lando Norris to close the gap to 62 points with eight races to go. Doable?
McLaren certainly thinks so, because it has decided that—having let its drivers race freely thus far—it will now deploy team orders and ask Oscar Piastri to move aside, if and when it helps Lando in his bid to reel in Max Verstappen. That could be a game-changer.
It’s still a long shot, though. Ferrari sensationally won at Monza last time out, Mercedes is still in the mix at the front, and Red Bull could be one update away from fixing the RB20. There’s still a long way to go.
Further back, keep an eye out for youngster Oliver Bearman, on supersub duties again this weekend. Only this time it’s for Haas—the team he will join full-time in 2025—and not Ferrari. Kevin Magnussen picked up more penalty points for the US team last time out in Monza, and so he is banned for Baku. Ouch.
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What time does the Azerbaijan Grand Prix start?
Screenshots at the ready: The Azerbaijan GP begins at 7pm, Philippine time, on Sunday, September 15. Qualifying is on Saturday, starting at 8pm.
Is it going to rain?
Not likely. The current forecast suggests that the weather in Baku will be very dry and very warm, with no sign of showers. Yet. Who knows how reliable meteorologists arem really.
Give me some history in 100 words or fewer.
F1 only started visiting the streets of Baku in 2017, but its race-to-absolute-classic-grand-prix ratio is off the charts. Who could forget the carnage when Daniel Ricciardo won from 10th on the grid in the maiden running of the race? That was the day Sebastian Vettel got road rage and rammed his Ferrari into Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes behind the safety car. Or how about Sergio Perez winning in 2021 when Hamilton overshot the first corner on a last-lap restart? Perez, by the way, is the only repeat winner in Azerbaijan, having also triumphed here last season. Three-peat, Checo?
The top three will be…
Hmm. Well, Monza is long and straight, and Baku’s circuit is long and straight. And doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results is the definition of insanity, right? So let’s leave it to science and say that Norris, Piastri, and Leclerc will fight it out for the podium spots again.
Shock of the weekend?
Adrian Newey will be paraded through the paddock atop a gold horse, flanked by a fleet of classic Astons as Lawrence Stroll declares, “How ya like me now?” with his arms outstretched in glorious celebration.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
