FIA reveal 16 changes to bonkers Baku track ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The FIA has confirmed a massive 16 changes to the Baku street circuit ahead of round 17, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as well as the shortening of the DRS activation zones.

Formula 1 is visiting Azerbaijan for the seventh time with the country hosting its inaugural race in 2017, won by Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.

Azerbaijan has 16 track changes and tweaks to the DRS zones

Since then there have been many changes to the track, which features the tightest pinch point of any F1 circuit with Turn 8 just 7.6 metres wide.

This season those changes total a whopping 16, ranging from a new vehicle opening on the pit exit to small patches of new asphalt being laid between Turn 2 and 3, Turns 7 and 8 as well as Turns 12 and 13.

A number of walls around the circuit have been realigned, including in the run-off at Turn 1, between Turns 3 and 4 on the right side, Turns 12 and 13 on the right side and Turn 15 also on the right side.

This has led to the track edge at the exit of Turn 12 moving closer to the walls.

The full list of track changes:

• Vehicle opening added at pit exit on LHS.
• Vehicle opening at Turn 14 on RHS replaced with crash gate.
• Vehicle opening at Pit Entry on LHS replaced with crash gate.
• Crash gate at Pit Entry on RHS replace with vehicle opening.
• Realignment of the walls on RHS between Turn 3 and Turn 4.
• The concrete walls between Turn 12 and Turn 13 on RHS have been realigned.
• The track edge line at the exit of Turn 12 has been moved closer to the concrete walls.
• The concrete walls in the run-off in Turn 16 have been replaced with new ones.
• The concrete walls between Turn 18 and Turn 19 on LHS have been replaced with new ones.
• The concrete walls in Turn 15 on RHS have been realigned.
• The concrete wall separating the straights between Turn 6 and Turn 7 on LHS and between Turn 19 and Turn 20 on LHS have been replaced with new concrete alls.
• The concrete walls in Turn 1 run-off have been realigned.
• Between Turn 2 and Turn 3 small patches of new asphalt on LHS in Pit Exit Road and on RHS.
• Between Turn 7 and Turn 8 small patches of new asphalt on RHS.
• Between Turn 12 and Turn 13 a strip of new asphalt on RHS in front of the barriers.
• New location of Medical Centre.

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Added to that the FIA have also shortened the two DRS activation zones, which are located at the exit of Turn 2 and the other along the long pit-straight and into the braking zone for Turn 1.

The DRS zone on the exit of Turn 2 has been shortened by two metres while the one along the pit stop is down by 100m to 347 metres after the final corner.

Writing in his pre-race notes, race director Niels Wittich also clarified the regulations for qualifying in a bid to avoid traffic jams.

He wrote: ‘In order to ensure that cars are not driven unnecessarily slowly on in laps during and after the end of qualifying or during reconnaissance laps when the pit exit is opened for the race, drivers must stay below the maximum time set by the FIA between the Safety Car lines shown on the pit lane map.

‘Teams and Drivers will be informed of the maximum time after the second practice session.

‘For the safe and orderly conduct of the Event, other than in exceptional circumstances accepted as such by the Stewards, any driver that exceeds the maximum time from the Second Safety Car Line to the First Safety Car Line on ANY lap during and after the end of the qualifying session, including in-laps and out-laps, may be deemed to be going unnecessarily slowly.

‘For the avoidance of doubt, this does not supersede Article 33.4 and Article 37.5 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations, which apply to the entire Circuit, furthermore this includes the pit lane as well. Incidents will normally be investigated after the qualifying session.’

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