Baku circuit setup analysis: risk of overheating rear tires | 2024 F1 Azerbaijan GP
09/11/2024 03:39 PM
The street circuit in the Azerbaijani capital requires a setup that balances the nearly two-kilometer-long straight with the technical Castle section. Pirelli has chosen the softest compounds, but drivers will have to manage the potential overheating of the rear tires during acceleration.
After the surprising Italian Grand Prix weekend at the Monza circuit, with Ferrari's unexpected but amazing race victory, the Formula 1 circus returns to the track on Sunday for the Azerbaijan GP on the street circuit in the capital Baku, along the shores of the Caspian Sea.
The Azerbaijani circuit is particularly difficult to interpret due to its three very different sectors: the first characterized by 90-degree corners, the second being particularly twisty and narrow, and the third featuring a nearly 2 km straight.
It's clear that the final setup will have to be a compromise between low aerodynamic drag, necessary to fully exploit the long straight of the third sector, and good balance to optimize the handling of the more technical second sector. The track’s most notable turn is certainly Turn 8, a particularly tight corner that runs alongside the city’s castle.
• The most stressed tires are the rears, particularly the right rear, due to the 90-degree corners in the first sector and the long straight in the final sector, which require significant traction effort and can lead to overheating, especially in the more technical section. The front tires are less stressed in the second sector.
• For this weekend, Pirelli has chosen the softest set available: C3-C4-C5, thanks to the low severity of the asphalt on the tires.
• As with all street circuits, high grip evolution is expected throughout the weekend, with grip gradually increasing.
Expected wear on this track is very low, as shown in the graph. The rear tires are the most stressed and at risk of overheating due to the high traction demands of the circuit.
One variable not to be underestimated is the possible entry of the safety car, given the close proximity of the walls to the track and the few escape routes. There is also a fair chance of a red flag, which could temporarily stop the race. Pit strategies will need to adapt to these possibilities, although overtaking on the track is not impossible, thanks to the long final straight.
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