F1 raced in Azerbaijan this weekend, and the story is a reminder that nothing about this sport ever goes as planned. The track runs through the medieval fortress gate of Baku, past modern buildings, and finishes with a 1.4-mile blast toward the Caspian Sea. The air carries wind off the water, and the walls sit so close that drivers leave almost no room for error.
Schedule Change
The race started a day early. F1 moved the timing to avoid clashing with Azerbaijan’s celebration of its recent war with Armenia. It is almost as if Bernie Ecclestone had never left. The sport has spent years trying to move past its old ways, and every now and then the past shows up anyway.
Qualifying Chaos
Last year, qualifying was interrupted by six red flags after crashes. This year was quieter until Kimi Antonelli got caught out. The 20-year-old sophomore misjudged the grip coming into turn 1, found more than expected, and clipped the corner of the wall with his left front tire. It happened in the first of the three knockout qualifying sessions. He had already banked a time good enough to proceed, but the damage to his car meant he took no further part and started the race from 16th.
The Monza Comparison
A few weeks ago, at Monza, Antonelli started the race from even further back — 19th — after penalties for a power unit change. He followed a day later with a spectacular drive through the field to take the win away from his teammate George Russell. There was some luck involved. Two standing starts, the second following Leclerc’s big crash on lap 2, allowed him to pass a lot of cars quickly.
The Harder Task Ahead
In Baku, Antonelli will have a much tougher task. The track offers no easy way through traffic, and the wall waits at every corner. Starting from 16th is a problem. Starting from 19th and winning is a story.
The Numbers
| Event | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | Baku, Azerbaijan | Antonelli clipped the wall, 16th start |
| Monza | Italy | 19th start, won the race |
| Baku | Azerbaijan | To be decided |
Order of Events
- F1 moved the Baku race forward a day to avoid clashing with Azerbaijan’s celebration of its recent war with Armenia.
- Antonelli clipped the wall in qualifying, damaging his car.
- He had already banked a time good enough to proceed.
- He took no further part in qualifying.
- He starts the race from 16th.
- The track runs through the medieval fortress gate and finishes fast along the Caspian Sea.
- The outcome remains unknown.
What We Make Of It
Antonelli’s weekend is over before it begins. A driver who can beat Russell in Monza will have to prove he can finish a race in Baku. The track will not forgive mistakes, and Antonelli has already made one. The question now is whether he can recover from it.
The sport has moved on from its old ways. Sometimes the old ways move right back in.
Source material: “F1 in Azerbaijan: That was almost a close-run thing,” Ars Technica.
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