© Vladimir RysCircuit Scout: BakuAn insight into the Azerbaijan track from a driver’s perspective.
Inauguratedin2016,BakuCityCircuithasprovidedgreatexcitementandalotofbattlesinitsrelativelyshortspan,hostingonlyfourpreviousraces.
We didn’t race here in 2020, but return this weekend for 51 laps, covering 306.049km of tight and twisty, as well as wide and open racing. So, as the circus rolls into town, we sat down with Red Bull Racing Honda’s Test and Reserve Driver Alex Albon and asked him about the Azerbaijani track.
Circuit Scout: Baku© @SOU_DRAWS
The first thing fans and teams alike notice about Baku’s circuit is that there are long wide straights mixed in with tight, narrow corners, but drivers – as always – have a slightly different perspective.
“As a driver it’s not too bad, it gets wide on the straights, but once you get through the corners, it still feels pretty tight,” said Alex as he looks over the track map. “It gets very narrow through the castle, but you never get the feeling of it going from wide to narrow and then wide again. You’re just looking to use the entire track, so even if it’s wide, you’re still right up against the wall. There is a much higher chance of error in the narrow sections, because if you take the kerb at the wrong angle, you bounce and then you’re in the wall.”
It does provide a lot of drama, and Alex does say: “It’s a cool track for racing, but it has less character than Monaco, you can see that a lot of these corners are 90-degrees, so as a driver it’s not as rewarding as Monaco, but it’s ok.”
With ups and downs to most circuits, we ask Alex to dive a little deeper into the corners and sections to look out for…
“This is where the chaos happens,” said a smiling Alex. “I think it’s where the circuit really shines. It’s a lot of fun, you come flat out down the huge start finish straight into the first 90-degree corner and you’re on cold breaks – it’s where you’ll see lots of issues and it’s one of the corners to watch.”
The Narrow Castle Section© Getty Images
CastleSection(Turns8,9,10,11,12)
As we move onto this section, Alex gets more animated, the castle section is clearly a driver’s favourite. “The cars we race are so wide it feels like you’re trying to drive a bus through a car park. It’s super tight and there is no room for error. Especially turn eight, as you start the section. It’s so tricky, if you hit the kerb slightly wrong, you’re in the wall. It’s like threading a needle, it’s such a close left, right, left right, that if you’re slightly off or get some dirt on your tyres, again, you’re in the wall. However, it’s so rewarding when you get it right and it’s the best part of the track, but it does have its consequences.”
To look at the track map and see turns 15 and 16 you’d think it looks pretty simple, a straight with two 90-degree corners at each end, but Alex doesn’t agree. “Apart from the castle section, this is the hardest part of the circuit,” Alex explains. “There are huge changes in elevation and you’re hugging the wall, so you have to be precise … it’s fun if you get it right and then you’re faced with this massive straight.”
Turn 15 In Baku© Getty Images
So, once you’re through turn 16, it’s almost a straight run down to turn one, but you can’t just floor it and hope. “Out of 16, it’s an easy flat 18, 19, 20,” said Alex. “What you have to do though - even in qualifying – is save some of your power. You can’t deploy your energy at turn 16, you have to wait until turn 19 because the straight is so long, you can waste energy. It’s cool and feels like you’re waiting a long time, but that’s what makes the racing so good.”
Although Alex likes the track, it’s not his favourite: “I don’t want to sound harsh to the track designer, but it looks like it’s been designed with a ruler. Your math teacher would love it. There’s a lot of right angles, but that’s part of it. The castle section is a 10/10 though, but it’s not one of my favourites.”
