Formula 1 has roared back into action after a brief hiatus, and the streets of Baku are already drenched in drama. While Aston Martin might not be a championship threat this season, they’ve hijacked the headlines. Billionaire owner Lawrence Stroll has pulled a masterstroke by signing the legendary Adrian Newey for 2025, sending shockwaves through the paddock and leaving rivals quaking.
But the future can wait—the present is a boiling cauldron of tension and high stakes. As we gear up for the 17th round of the 2024 F1 season, the battlefield is set between a beleaguered Red Bull and a resurgent McLaren. Red Bull, once the unassailable titan, is on the defensive. Their RB20 has stumbled, and McLaren smells blood. With Lando Norris now officially backed by McLaren in his title assault against Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri pledging to play wingman, the so-called “Papaya Dynamics” are in full swing. Will Norris dethrone Verstappen and snatch the constructors’ lead if Red Bull falters on Baku’s unforgiving streets?
Meanwhile, Ferrari storms into Azerbaijan riding the high of Charles Leclerc’s sensational victory at Monza. Leclerc is bullish about his SF-24’s pace on this circuit. The question looms: Will the Prancing Horse trample the competition or stumble in the shadows?
Not to be overlooked, Mercedes is scrambling to reclaim its lost form. In a shocking move, they’ve ditched their latest floor upgrade—the very one introduced at Spa—in a desperate bid to understand their spiraling performance. Is this a strategic regrouping or signs of deeper turmoil within the Silver Arrows?
On the tech front, only three teams have dared to introduce upgrades this weekend—a testament to Baku’s treacherous nature. Red Bull unveils a new floor body for the RB20 and, intriguingly, a rear beam wing that slipped under the FIA’s radar. Their junior team, VCARB, brings a new front wing tailored for Baku’s demands. Aston Martin tweaks the AMR24 with a revised lower deflector, but without Newey’s genius at the helm this season, will it make a dent?
Pirelli adds another layer of complexity, opting for the softest tyre compounds—C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), and C5 (Soft)—turning tyre strategy into a potential minefield.
In the cockpit, all eyes are on Oliver Bearman, who makes his full F1 debut replacing the suspended Kevin Magnussen. Thrust into the spotlight, can the rookie handle the pressure cooker that is Baku?
The first practice session was nothing short of a calamity. Under scorching conditions—43 degrees Celsius track temp and 30 degrees air temp—drivers battled not just each other but their own machines. Piastri reported abysmal grip levels, while Norris grappled with steering woes, exclaiming, “It’s super easy to turn right and harder to turn left; it doesn’t feel symmetrical.” Hamilton is still tormented by a hot seat, and an exasperated Stroll declared, “This is not a car, this is not a car right now!”
The session was marred by a litany of red flags. Debris at Turn 12 halted proceedings early on. Verstappen topped the timesheets but drama unfolded as Ocon’s Alpine lost power, limping back in third gear—a disastrous start for the Frenchman. Sainz narrowly avoided the barriers at Turn 7 after a massive lock-up, but Leclerc wasn’t as fortunate. In a jaw-dropping moment, he smashed into the wall at Turn 15, his session over. “I took the dirt on the outside,” he lamented—a costly error from the Monégasque.
The chaos didn’t end there. Williams’ Franco Colapinto lost the rear at Turn 4, slamming into the barriers and bringing out yet another red flag. Even Albon flirted with disaster at the same corner but escaped unscathed.
With less than 11 minutes left, the session resumed, but the clock was against everyone. Teams scrambled to gather data, switching back to Medium tyres for high-fuel runs. The final minutes were a frenzy, but the earlier interruptions left many questions unanswered.
As the dust settles on a tumultuous opening day, one thing is clear: Baku is living up to its reputation as a circuit where anything can happen. With championship battles tightening and team dynamics shifting, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is poised to be a pivotal race in the 2024 season.
Strap in—this weekend promises to be a wild ride.
