Baku, a new challenge at the Azerbaijan GP

The quick and challenging Baku City Circuit will be home to round 12 of the FIA Formula 2 Championship this weekend. After wrapping up its home weekend with a podium finish, achieved by Richard Verschoor at Monza, Trident Motorsport will line up for the Azerbaijani challenge with a new driver. Lining up alongside the Dutchman will be Australian rookie Christian Mansell.

In the previous events in Budapest, Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, Trident Motorsport always achieved at least one podium. The aim for the Italian team is therefore to continue to harvest points and podiums on the track overlooking the Caspian Sea, famous for its long 2.2 km straight that offers overtaking opportunities and often makes restarts problematic after safety car situations. Caution periods are frequent in Baku as the racing line runs very close to the walls. The Baku track is also famous for the wind, which often blows strongly between the walls of the city, and for its castle, overlooking one of the slowest points on the layout. 

While Verschoor knows the track well, it will be key for Mansell to quickly understand the car’s behavior on a track where he has never raced before. A full free practice session with no interruptions will therefore be needed to allow a positive series debut.

Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager: “There has been an interesting change in our lineup ahead of the Baku race, which we are approaching with maximum concentration and determination. We have clear goals on the Azerbaijani track, as we aim to continue our streak of brilliant results with Verschoor and to allow Mansell to experience a positive F2 debut. We have carried out dedicated preparation work with him and I am sure the conditions are there to do well, especially if there will be no interruptions in the free practice session.”

The FIA Formula 2 Championship will start on Friday at 11:00, with a 45-minute free practice session. Qualifying is scheduled for the same day at 15:00. The Sprint Race will be on Saturday at 14:15 while the Feature Race will go underway on Sunday at 11:35. All times are local. The on-track activity will be covered live by the Sky Sports F.1 network.