Ferrari is looking ahead to this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku

On Wednesday, June 8, Nicola Bariselli, Ferrari’s PU Track Operations Manager, based in  Maranello, spoke of the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

When asked what type of circuit Baku offers, he responded: “Baku is a street circuit but unlike any other. It is definitely atypical because, in addition to the expected 90-degree corners, it also has a very low-speed section, as well as particularly long straights”.

He added, “In fact, this track has one of the longest straights of the season. It is demanding for the drivers, but Carlos, and Charles in particular, both like racing here”.

Bariselli then spoke about the fact that Baku is mostly below sea level, and always very windy. He was asked how this affects the performance of racing cars. “The ambient conditions have a significant effect on optimising the car-power unit package”, he replied.

“The changes in intensity and direction of the wind, in particular, can produce different operating conditions in terms of speed through the corners, which therefore impact torque and gear ratio settings, and time spent on the straight. It’s clear that a tailwind or headwind down the last straight can have an effect of several tenths of a second”, added the operations manager.

Speaking about the demands placed on the power units of Formula One cars by the Baku circuit, Bariselli said: “Because the nature of the circuit means the power unit has to be versatile. The driver wants it to be nicely driveable in the tight and slow sections without however wasting energy, as it’s essential to be able to deploy it down the long straights”.

He continued, “Outright power is also essential, especially when it comes to acceleration out of the many low-speed corners when going for a quick lap in qualifying, as well as during the race”.

The Formula One World Championship resumes this weekend with the first of a pair of back-to-back races that sees teams travelling first east and then west from their European homes. The action starts in Azerbaijan this Sunday, June 12.

As always, the Azerbaijan race takes place at the Baku City Circuit, running through the streets of the capital, including its historic centre and its infamous Turn 8, only wide enough for one car to pass through at a time.

Towards, the end of the lap is the very fast section where cars travel flat-out for 2.2 kilometres leading to the finish line. The circuit is 6.003 kilometres in length, with 12 corners to the left and eight to the right and it is almost in its entirety, below sea level, as is indeed much of Baku itself, with the exception of Turns 13 and 14.

In six Grand Prix in Baku, no driver has ever won more than once. There are two DRS zones, one between Turns 2 and 3 and the other down the start-finish straight. The race distance is 51 laps, or 306.049 kilometres.

There are two hour-long free practice sessions on Friday, June 17, starting at 3pm and 6pm local time, Saturday, June 11, sees a final hour of free practice at 3pm, followed by qualifying at 6pm. The race gets underway on Sunday at 3 pm.

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