F1 Paddock Notebook - Azerbaijan GP Friday
Rounding up all the odds and ends from the opening day of track action at the Baku City Circuit, Crash.net F1 Editor Luke Smith brings you his Paddock Notebook.
Low grip conditions caused a number of drivers to go off-track through both FP1 and FP2. As the Baku City Circuit is only used once a year for F1, no racing rubber will have been laid down since last year’s grand prix.
- High winds were also causing problems for some drivers, but the issue is only expected to get worse on Sunday according to the weather forecast.
Rounding up all the odds and ends from the opening day of track action at the Baku City Circuit, Crash.net F1 Editor Luke Smith brings you his Paddock Notebook.
Low grip conditions caused a number of drivers to go off-track through both FP1 and FP2. As the Baku City Circuit is only used once a year for F1, no racing rubber will have been laid down since last year’s grand prix.
- High winds were also causing problems for some drivers, but the issue is only expected to get worse on Sunday according to the weather forecast.
- Kimi Raikkonen denied there was an issue on his Ferrari car that limited him to just 10 laps in FP1, instead saying the team was making a sizeable setup change that took time.
- Max Verstappen had a brief scare at the end of FP2 when he began to slow, but said there was no engine issue, instead saying it was the result of a faulty sensor.
- Verstappen had no explanation for his shunt in FP1, saying he simply lost the rear end of the car and could not catch it.
- Brendon Hartley has taken a new gearbox for this weekend’s grand prix, but will face no penalty as he failed to finish the last race in China.
- Despite a technical directive being issued confirming teams can affix mirrors to the Halo, Red Bull’s Paul Monaghan and Mercedes’ James Allison both agreed it would be difficult to manage given the tight criteria.
- In another technical directive issued to teams since China, it was confirmed there will be no clampdown on blown exhausts for 2018, but there will for 2019.
- While F1 bosses are yet to talk with any teams individually to flesh out more of the 2021 plans, Force India’s Otmar Szafnauer confirmed he is expecting to hear from them before the next race in Spain.
- Most drivers are likely to try a one-stop strategy in Baku this weekend given the low levels of tyre degradation and the likelihood of a Safety Car period.
- As part of its updated TV package for 2018, F1 placed an infographic over the Halo during both FP1 and FP2 showing speed, throttle, brake and RPM.
