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The 2024 F1 Azerbaijan GP kicks off the last third of the championship calendar. With 16 races done and 8 left, the championship situation is hanging right in the balance, with the next couple of races proving to be very critical in terms of the direction the title battle takes.
Max Verstappen still holds a 62-point lead over Lando Norris but has seen it slashed from the peak of 84 points at one stage. On the other side, McLaren is now looking at a single-digit deficit to Red Bull, something that it would be hoping to wipe off by the end of the F1 Azerbaijan GP race weekend.
The race in Baku tends to either be very eventful or not have as much action throughout. What can we expect from the 2024 F1 Azerbaijan GP? Let's take a look.
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#5 The race will not feature much action
One of the major issues faced by F1 that continues to get pushed under the rug is the lack of on-track action this season. Some of the races have been horrible in that aspect, and if it wasn't for the vibrant nature of the season, this would get highlighted a lot more. Heading to Baku, this is one track where the races have either been brilliant or horrible in terms of what happens on the track.
Keeping in mind a very famous quote now from Oscar Piastri, "Free air is king" we're probably not going to see too much on-track action this season.
#4 Alpine and Sauber are going to be at the bottom
The problem with Sauber continues to be a case of complete mismanagement where Audi has not infused as many resources as they should have by now, and hence the entire squad is floundering at the back. Expect something similar to happen in Baku as well as the team just continues to struggle to do anything meaningful this season.
Alpine, on the other hand, is another global manufacturer that seems completely out of sorts in general and we will see more of that this weekend when the long straights expose one of the major weaknesses of the car, the power unit.
Expect the two teams to be right at the back of the grid during the F1 Azerbaijan GP.
#3 Max Verstappen does not make it to the podium
Red Bull is not going to be one of the top 2 teams during the F1 Azerbaijan GP race weekend. The track characteristics don't suit the car because while the long straights are something a Max Verstappen can rely on to gain something, the aggressive curbs and the car's inability to ride them are going to be major handicaps.
Red Bull could challenge Mercedes maybe and maybe Max Verstappen will be a contender for the top 5 as well. But a podium is a far-fetched dream at this stage.
#2 The battle between McLaren and Ferrari is going to be intense
The track nature does play into Ferrari being strong here as well and the new upgrades are surely going to be a help as well. With that being said, the F1 Azerbaijan GP could have a similar pecking order to Monza, where once again it's going to be a battle of tenths at best when it comes to securing a win, and it could potentially come down to who nails everything.
#1 Charles Leclerc win the F1 Azerbaijan GP
Finally, when it comes to picking who wins the F1 Azerbaijan GP, we're going with the specialist, Charles Leclerc. When it comes to Baku, Leclerc has truly pulled out some sensational stuff on this track, even though the car has probably never been good enough to win.
This time around, it's very close with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, but if we have to put a bet on someone to bring out something special, it's going to be Charles Leclerc.
