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The fastest street track on the current F1 calendar returns this weekend for a second outing, and after a relatively quiet debut race which followed in the footsteps of a manic GP2 encounter on the same day, it is still a little early to make a definitive verdict on the success or otherwise of the layout.
There’s no question that it’s fast; last year’s pole position lap by Nico Rosberg was set at an average speed of 130mph, a similar average to Barcelona and well up on the other two pure street tracks Singapore at 110mph and Monaco at just over 100mph, while the Williams team recorded Bottas at over 230mph at the end of the 1.3 mile flat out section from Turn 16 to the first corner. That is a pretty daunting figure on what is a normal section of road that usually carries busy traffic alongside the Caspian Sea coastline, and which when closed for race weekend causes all sorts of confused detours and coaches going down one way streets in the wrong direction. At the opposite end of the track, F1 cars climb past a mediaeval wall that surrounds the Palace of the Shirvanshas through an area that is only wide enough for a single car at a time, and which has masses of potential for chaos in the race. That’s quickly followed by a daunting downhill left hander, Turn 15, where Sergio Perez crashed in practice last year and Rosberg got away with scraping the wall in qualifying. It has a split personality, from the ninety degree corners on a level surface in the early part of the lap to the twisting, climbing, narrow section further along. In some ways, the track harks back to an era when long sections of road were closed off to create classic racing venues; places like Reims in France and Pescara in Italy, both appearing in the 1920s. The latter was fully 16 miles long with two straights of 4 miles each and then a tortuous twisty section that went on for 8 miles between the villages of Pescara and Capelle, and all within sight of the Adriatic coast. Impossible to manage in our modern health and safety era, of course, but an indelible part of the history of the sport. Funnily enough, Enzo Ferrari drove to the first ever Pescara race victory back in 1924 by beating two Mercedes, and 93 years later the team he created would love a similar result in Azerbaijan after being soundly thrashed by a Silver Arrow in Canada. Part of that was down to the start of the race, as contact with Verstappen at Turn One put Vettel on the back foot for the rest of the afternoon and allowed Hamilton to sail into the distance. Lewis was in absolutely stupendous form in Canada, but he returns to Baku knowing that this was one that slipped away last year, and ultimately contributed to Rosberg being crowned champion. Fastest in practice, Hamilton couldn’t get the same feel with the car in qualifying and ultimately clouted the barrier in his attempts to match Nico. A similar lack of confidence in the car occurred in Monaco this year and to a certain extent on the semi-street circuit layout of Sochi, so there could be some concerns but Mercedes are on the case, attempting to make the car less sensitive to temperature changes and tyre requirements. The elements are all in place for a tantalising race; the top two in the championship fighting tooth and nail, a layout that could favour either team depending on how well they make use of the tyres, and a track which is yet to prove itself as a modern classic, but which has plenty of idiosyncracies to keep us entertained. Fast and furious or plain and processional? There’ll be more evidence come Sunday night.
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Right now we are enjoying a battle royal between two great champions of Formula One. Sebastian Vettel leads the points having taken three wins to Hamilton's two, but Hamilton has been the better qualifier, leading 3-1 in pole positions. This weekend we come to a circuit that has a history of success for the British driver and one of frequent disappointment for the German. How can we read the runes of past performance in Canada?
Hamilton's relationship with the parkland circuit in Montreal began on a high with his very first visit, as it saw him take his first ever Grand Prix win in only his 6th Formula One event, despite going wheel to wheel with McLaren team mate Alonso and dealing with as many as four safety car periods in an incident filled encounter. Since then he has added four more wins, including the last two in a row, and another victory this weekend would make him a six times winner of a particular race, something only Senna and Schumacher have achieved in the past. By contrast, Vettel has often been tantalisingly close to victory, only for it to slip away. Take last year as an example; a superb start from 3rd on the grid saw him squeeze between the Mercedes and set off in the lead. His qualifying time had been within two tenths of a second of Hamilton's and in the race he looked in control, but an early commitment to a two stop race allowed Mercedes to go for the alternative, stopping just once and regaining track position. Afterwards Vettel felt that even the kids in the grandstand could see how Ferrari had lost the advantage and second place was scant reward. The previous year had seen him fast in practice, and Raikkonen took third on the grid but Seb was left on the sidelines early in qualifying with a power unit failure, and a fightback to 5th was the best he could deliver. In 2014 when he was in his final year at Red Bull, a golden opportunity appeared out of nowhere as both Mercedes suffered energy recovery problems. Suddenly there was a chance of glory in a season of woe but through pit stops and traffic the three place advantage he had enjoyed over his team mate Daniel Ricciardo on the grid was overturned and it was Daniel who went on to win his first ever Grand Prix. Granted, in 2013 came the exception to prove the rule; Vettel won the race from pole position in dominant fashion, but in 2012 he was defeated by Hamilton despite setting the pace in qualifying, and in 2011 came probably the biggest blow of all. That race will always be remembered for Jenson Button's remarkable victory having dropped to last place at one stage, but the driver he beat that day, and who had led every lap of a marathon four hour long encounter until halfway through the final tour, was one Sebastian Vettel. A slight over commitment at Turn 5 to avoid falling within DRS range saw him slithering wide and Jenson was through. He even missed out in 2010 when Hamilton ended Red Bull's 100% pole sequence to that point and despite Seb starting second, in the race he dropped to 4th. There wasn't a race here in 2009 (perhaps a relief...) but in 2008 he hit the barrier sufficiently hard in final practice that he missed qualifying altogether in his Toro Rosso. A recovery to score the final point that day was some consolation. So it has not been a circuit of wonderful memories for the title leader, and yet quite the opposite for his hunter. Hamilton knows he needs to bounce back from the disappointment of Monaco as fast and as effectively as possible, and this could be the ideal place to do just that. His ability to brake incredibly late, yet maintain control and balance into a corner is rewarded several times around the 2.7 mile lap and you can imagine there will be an extra bounce in his step coming to an event which has gone his way so many times. Will Vettel overcome his jinx or will Hamilton extend his winning record in Canada? It will all play out on an island in the St Lawrence Seaway this weekend. |
AuthorF1 commentator Ben Edwards sets out some thoughts. Archives
May 2018
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