McLaren head to Azerbaijan with an opportunity to clinch the constructors’ championship. However they’re additionally underneath scrutiny after their contentious determination to deploy crew orders at Monza.
They might face more durable competitors once more this weekend. Max Verstappen was unstoppable on the final spherical and Charles Leclerc has an unparalleled capability to conjure up a pole place lap at this circuit.
Listed here are the speaking factors for this weekend’s race.
5 in a row for Leclerc?
Charles Leclerc can justifiably declare to be a little bit of a Baku specialist, having taken pole place at this observe for the final 4 races in a row. He was in significantly robust type final 12 months, seeing off Piastri by over three tenths of a second.
The Ferrari driver has had one pole place already this 12 months: his shock triumph in Hungary. However what he actually needs and wishes is a win.
The indicators aren’t nice, nevertheless. Ferrari are but to win a race this 12 months and the crew have been outgunned on house floor at Monza. Nor has Leclerc transformed any of his earlier Baku pole positions into victory. He got here closest final 12 months, however fell sufferer to a shock assault by Piastri quickly after their pit stops which left Leclerc second on the flag.
Will McLaren clinch the crown?
There’s a robust likelihood McLaren will put a lock on their tenth constructors’ championship title this weekend. However whereas that appears like a foregone conclusion the drivers’ title battle is something however.
The Italian Grand Prix highlighted the difficulties McLaren more and more face in giving their two drivers what they take into account is a good and equal likelihood to battle for the championship. Their determination to instruct Oscar Piastri to let Norris overtake him was hotly contested, and though the motive force obeyed the instruction he additionally questioned it.
McLaren crew principal Andrea Stella subsequently mentioned the crew would rethink whether or not the choice was in step with their philosophy of not unduly favouring both driver. They’ll count on to face questions over whether or not they’ll proceed to deal with comparable conditions in the identical approach.
Norris’s sluggish pit cease served because the set off for McLaren’s contentious determination. The pit crew will really feel added stress to spare the crew a repeat underneath comparable circumstances once more and any delay might be scrutinised for any hesitation on McLaren’s half to carry out one other Monza-style swap.
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Williams win over the stewards
Nearly two weeks after Carlos Sainz Jnr and Liam Lawson made contact at Zandvoort the stewards admitted that they had known as the incident incorrect. Prompted by a request for a overview from Williams, the stewards have cancelled the motive force’s two penalty factors and rescinded their determination.
Sainz will little question really feel vindicated, however will Lawson settle for the choice or proceed to insist his rival ought to bear all of the blame? And are the opposite drivers blissful the stewards now regard one of these collision as a ‘racing incident’?
Bearman’s ban hazard
One driver who have to be wishing his crew had discovered grounds to problem his newest penalty is Oliver Bearman. He was judged liable for one other incident, additionally involving Sainz, which the stewards appeared too wanting to assign blame for as a substitute of deeming a racing incident.
Haas let it go, nevertheless, and the upshot is Bearman collected one other two penalty factors on his licence, placing him on a complete of 10. Two extra would set off an computerized race ban.
At this observe final 12 months he was known as as much as substitute for Kevin Magnussen when his predecessor was suspended for a race. However 12 months on Bearman is at risk of struggling the identical destiny.
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Are Pink Bull again?
Max Verstappen’s victory at Monza two weeks in the past felt like an sudden flashback to 2023. The Pink Bull driver was in whole management, brushing Lando Norris apart to win as he happy.
Was this the beginning of a late season resurgence from Pink Bull and their star driver? Monza is a really explicit kind of circuit with extraordinarily high-speed straights and largely fast corners, so it isn’t essentially a powerful information for the observe to comply with. That mentioned there are two remaining tracks on the calendar which favour low-downforce set-ups and the Baku Metropolis Circuit is one in all them.
It’s fairly completely different to Monza in different respects, nevertheless: its corners are largely very low-speed and low in grip. However Pink Bull’s robust prime velocity ought to stand Verstappen in good stead because the crew seeks to find whether or not the brand new set-up strategy which labored so properly two weeks in the past will show as efficient once more.
Baku was beforehand a very robust venue for Verstappen’s crew mate Sergio Perez. This weekend will mark a full 12 months because the final time Verstappen was out-qualified. Yuki Tsunoda wants to begin producing outcomes if he’s to face an opportunity of holding on to his seat this weekend so his progress might be one other key focal point.
Slipstreams, slip-roads and slip-ups
With its big straights, cramped run-off areas and looming limitations, Baku is the form of observe which may produce surprises. Norris found this the onerous approach final 12 months when the briefest of yellow flags in qualifying value him the possibility to advance past Q1 and consigned him to a race from the again of the grid.
The sector is even nearer now than it was 12 months in the past, so the worth of ‘tow’ in qualifying might be greater nonetheless. The prospect of a shock early elimination in qualifying is excessive.
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2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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