F1 preview: Who does Azerbaijan favor in a razor-thin points battle?

For the first time in years, there is a close points battle heading into the end of the season. After a few seasons of domination by Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the field is starting to catch up; more specifically, Ferrari and McLaren.

With Ferrari winning the most recent Grand Prix in their home country of Italy, the duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are bound to bring some momentum to the tight streets of Azerbaijan. But don’t count out the McLarens either.

Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have been racking up podiums for the team as the end of the season comes ever closer. These points have made all the difference in bringing the Constructors Championship to within eight points.

And while the Drivers Championship is all but out of reach, expect McLaren to bring all they have to these last races to give Norris his best shot to make a comeback.

But who does this coming GP favor? Well if history’s to tell us, then there’s some bad news on the way for Red Bull’s competition.

Red Bull has historically been dominant at this track with both drivers having won here in the past. Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s teammate, has been one of the best when it comes to this track, having finished top two in the last three races here and winning in 2021 and 2023.

This year, however, could be different for Red Bull. They’re currently in a bit of a slump, with Verstappen not winning in six races. Perez has also had one of his worst years on record with Red Bull, not finishing on the podium since April.

One thing to look for this weekend is qualifying. Leclerc has started this race on pole for the last three years, failing to capture a win in any of these attempts.

The winner of this race also almost always comes from the front row. Since this street circuit began hosting races in 2016, only twice has a driver won from somewhere other than the front row.

This is because of how difficult it can be to pass here. While it’s wider than some of the other street circuits like Monaco, this street circuit in Baku still consists of tight corners, which makes track position key here.

Look for drivers to try and maximize the Drag Reduction System (DRS) on the straightaways here and draft up behind another car to pass. That will be the easiest way to move up through the field since most corners here are virtually impossible to go side-by-side through.

The winner of this race is going to have a combination of a good starting spot, good strategy and a limit to their aggression. This track punishes aggression with there being few runoff areas to correct a car if a mistake is made. Look for at least one or two drivers to end their race in the tire barriers.

Aside from the points battle, rookie Oliver Bearman will be something else to watch this weekend. He’ll be filling in for the suspended Kevin Magnussen, making his second start of the season. His first start came in place of Sainz earlier this season. He’ll be full-time next year for Haas.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicks off this Sunday at 7 a.m.

Ethan Ellis is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ece5133@psu.edu.