Qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix lasted two hours and resulted in a promising grid layout for the race. Motorsport Week discusses five key talking points.
Can Mercedes do it again?
A combination of Mercedes extracting its full potential and Ferrari underachieving has already left the title standings weighted heavily in favour of the reigning champions. It would be remiss to write off the 2019 championship fight between the two teams if the qualifying result is repeated at the end of 51 laps of racing, but Mercedes again finds itself in a position of strength that it did not expect prior to qualifying. “Ferrari was very quick in practice and they were extremely quick in FP3,” said team boss Toto Wolff. “That was something which we didn’t know how to solve, because the gap was big. But when you see this kind of gap, it’s never the car has suddenly lost performance, because you know there is performance, it’s just that you’re not having the tyre in the right operating window. The longer the session went, the more we got it there, and towards the end, from a car that was not making the drivers happy in the morning, we ended up with a car in Q3 that was good.” No team has ever started a season with four successive 1-2 finishes. Can Mercedes break further records?
Another opportunity for Baku maestro Perez?
Sergio Perez’s knack of getting the Baku City Circuit right has already been outlined – given his two podiums from three attempts and strong pace as well in 2017. While team-mate Lance Stroll hit the wall in practice, skimmed it elsewhere, and dropped out in Q1, Perez displayed how hooked up he is with the circuit by qualifying a stellar fifth. “The team did a tremendous job in terms of the strategy,” said Perez. “We reacted really well and got all the decisions right – when to go out and when not to go out. This is a very unique track, it pushes the driver to the maximum. You need to be on the limit every lap without making any mistakes and that takes a lot of commitment and confidence. It will be a long race, we have some very fast cars around us but anything can happen here in Baku. A single mistake can cost you a lot. It is important to stay cool and I think if we are able to finish the race we should be able to score good points.” Podium in 2016, fast – pre-clash with Esteban Ocon – in 2017, podium in 2018. Can Perez do it again in 2019?
Can Leclerc make amends?
Charles Leclerc is not a driver who struggles to be self-critical. Just seconds after his costly crash in Q2 he labelled himself as “stupid” and went on to beat himself up in the usual media pen interviews shortly afterwards. Leclerc had been the on-form driver at the Baku City Circuit, a venue at which he thrived in 2017 (Formula 2) and in 2018 (with Sauber), and which he has labelled as his favourite track. “It was entirely my fault, in the end, and I’ll do everything to never make it again, to learn from this mistake and comeback stronger,” he said. “I’ll try to do a good race, not to forget this mistake, because I’ll never forget it, because it hurts, but to be stronger for the next race.” Leclerc is set to start from ninth position – the question is how far can he rise, given the pace he had shown and Baku’s tendency for drama. Recall Daniel Ricciardo crashing out of qualifying in 2017, starting from the foot of the top 10, and going on to win the race…
How far can Gasly rise from last?
Pierre Gasly’s 2019 Formula 1 season has not been completely disastrous but it’s difficult to imagine how it could have been much worse. With just 13 points from three races Gasly has been firmly put in the shade by team-mate Verstappen, who has rapidly established himself as the undisputed number one in the wake of Daniel Ricciardo’s departure. Gasly’s weighbridge mistake was a rookie one – but the bigger error was that Red Bull worked on the car before it was returned to the FIA. That’s a big no-no, and as a consequence he was slapped with a pit lane start. At any other track getting back into the points would be a challenge but this is Azerbaijan. Red Bull has the ability to put Gasly on an alternative strategy while it used third practice to undertake long run simulations. Gasly rose from last to P2 in a GP2 race at Baku three years ago – how far can he rise in 2019?
A case of damage limitation for Renault?
Renault has been one of the biggest disappointments of 2019 so far as it has yet to deliver on expectations that it would move away from the midfield pack. Its performances have also been underpinned by reliability issues that have cost the manufacturer more than its fair share of points. Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg have struggled throughout the Baku weekend for confidence in the R.S.19, with the German in particular all at sea with the car, dropping out in Q1. To make matters worse for Renault its main rivals all have strong grid spots, with Racing Point in fifth, Toro Rosso sixth and McLaren seventh. It still holds fourth in the Constructors’ Championship but it will be a case of damage limitation if it is to leave Azerbaijan still at the head of the midfield.
