Azerbaijan GP 2022
Technology fans keep an eye on the rear wings of the individual cars in Baku. We roamed the pit lane and shot them down. This is the result. The teams seem to go different ways with their choice.
The Baku City Circuit is no ordinary street circuit. The 6.003-kilometre strip of asphalt mixes slow corners, mostly at 90-degree angles, with long straights. The longest flat-out stretch of the season awaits the cars in Baku. It is on the home stretch and is over two kilometers long. There the pilots usually deliver slipstream battles.
The mix calls for compromises when it comes to vehicle tuning. In any case, the mechanics equip the cars with much smaller wings than they did last time in Monaco. After all, there are no really long straights in the Principality. Maximum downforce was required there. It's different in Baku.
Only two winning teams in Baku
The question is how much downforce do the teams sacrifice in favor of better drag and more top speed. With a small rear wing and beam wing you are faster on the straights, but you suffer more in the crooked corners. Which also goes on the Pirelli tires. On Thursday (June 9th, 2022) various factions could already be identified. Ferrari and Haas seem to prefer larger wings.
Red Bull, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Alpha Tauri and especially Aston Martin and Alpine, on the other hand, significantly reduce wing area. The teams will look for the right way in the training sessions. There may still be changes. What is certain is that some teams have released track-specific updates for the eighth round of the season. For example Alpine and Alfa Romeo with their modified rear wings.
Mercedes is the most successful team in Baku with three wins. Followed by Red Bull with two wins. Otherwise, no other team has won here in the past. For the squad around Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, on the fast street circuit on the Caspian Sea, it will be all about finally leaving behind the problems with the DRS that afflicted Red Bull in Barcelona.
Ferrari has other concerns. The Scuderia has been chasing its main rival for four races. It's about time for Charles Leclerc to stop Red Bull's streak. We looked over the shoulders of the mechanics at work on Thursday (06/09/2022) and took lots of technical pictures. The weather showed itself from the better side with around 28 degrees Celsius, sunshine and light wind.
