The Formula One 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicked off in Baku on Friday, with some of the best racecar drivers descending on the Caspian region after having raced in Shanghai, China just two weeks ago. This is the third consecutive year Azerbaijan has held the race, forming the fourth segment in a racing season that will close in Abu Dhabi in November.
Friday came and went with two one-hour practice sessions, followed by another practice Saturday morning and a qualifying session on Saturday afternoon, before the official race on Sunday.
The event, which is organized by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Formula 1 and Baku City Circuit, has brought together 20 F1 pilots, including Sebastian Vettel from the Ferrari team.
The four-time Formula One World Champion, Vettel has already claimed victory in Australia and Bahrain, but he failed to outrun Aston Martin’s Daniel Ricciardo during the race in China on April 15.
Following Friday’s second practice session, Vettel ranked eleventh, while the Daniel Ricciardo came in first.
“We didn’t have the best on Friday’s, but we have improved significantly, and probably we will be more competitive tomorrow,” Alberto Antonini, a press officer from Ferrari, told Caspian News.
Along with Vettel, Baku is welcoming another four-time Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, who represents Mercedes, as well as Aston Martin’s Max Verstappen, the youngest driver to compete in F1, and his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo. The other teams represented in Baku include Sahara Force India, Toro Rosso, Alfa Romeo, McLaren, Haas and Renault.
“With each year we all get comfortable with the environment, the organizers do a great job with the paddock and people,” David Coulhart, a British former Formula One racing driver, told Caspian News.
With a length of slightly over six kilometers, Baku’s Formula One racetrack is the second-longest being used this season, behind the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. The circuit runs through Baku’s UNESCO-protected Old City, or the Icheri Sheher historical-architectural reserve, the city’s modern skyline, and along the Caspian Sea promenade. With the toughest point in course is its narrowest, measuring 7.6 meters wide, the configuration of the Baku track features 20 turns, while eight of them are 90-degree turns.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of racecar fans who arrived in Baku for the weekend will be able to enjoy a spectacular entertainment program that features three concerts by the U.K.’s funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, American Grammy winner Christina Aguilera and British singer Dua Lipa.
In addition, F1 fans can join challenge themselves in the exciting F1 Pit Stop Challenge and E-Sports Game Zone. The Replica Podium will allow you to feel what it is like to win a Grand Prix and take home a special photo. To feel the true spirit of Azerbaijani culture, tradition, and hospitality there is an Azerbaijan Cultural Lounge. F1 fans can also get the autographs of drivers and pose for photos.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be followed by stages in Spain on May 13, while the last one will be held on November 25 in the United Arab Emirates.
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