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The eighth round of the 2022 F1 season will take place with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the Baku City Circuit. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen currently leads the drivers' standings with Charles Leclerc in a close second. In the five rounds of the 51-lap race previously held, Baku witnessed five different race winners, of which only two came from pole. Interestingly, seven of the fifteen podium-finishers so far have come from outside the top-5 on the starting grid, making the Azerbaijan GP one of the most exciting races on the F1 calendar. A fact to be noted is that neither of the top two title contenders of the season has ever secured a win here.
Sergio Perez was the last driver to stand on the top step of the podium in Baku last season, with Sebastian Vettel and Pierre Gasly in second and third respectively. This made for a third podium finish for the Mexican, the highest number he has achieved on the same circuit, indicating that Perez would certainly be happy to return this weekend.
The Grand Prix will get underway this Friday with free practice sessions, while the main race will take place on Sunday, June 12.
The Venue
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Type: Street Circuit
Circuit Length: 6.003 km (3.730 mi )
First race held: 2016 (Baku City Circuit)
Valtteri Bottas hoping to have a smooth start to 2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP
Valtteri Bottas has had a decent start to the season after shifting to Alfa Romeo but is yet to have a positive weekend overall. The Friday free practice sessions have proven to be quite rough for the driver, something that the Finn is certainly hoping to overcome in Baku.
As reported by f1.com, Bottas shared his expectations from the Azerbaijan GP, saying:
“Baku is a place with both good and bad memories for me, so I definitely hope to add some more of the pleasant kind this weekend. It’s crucial we can have a trouble-free weekend: we have been having some good results despite some Friday issues so far, and if we were to fix these, we could really see the full potential of our package. We know we can fight towards the front when we do it and it has to be the aim here as well. This is a track that can produce some chaotic races so we will need to be ready to make the most of any opportunity. It could be a lot of fun on Sunday.”
Bottas is one of only two drivers to have won the race at Baku from pole position back in 2019 when he drove for Mercedes. The other driver to do so was Mercedes' Nico Rosberg during the 2016 European GP.
