2024 Formula One Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Red Bull RB19. Image: Red Bull Content Pool / Getty Images

WHO ARE YOU SUPPORTING THIS WEEKEND?


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After a second win of the season for Charles Leclerc at the home of Ferrari, Monza, the Formula One circus migrates east to Azerbaijan for round seventeen of the Formula One World Championship

Max Verstappen comes into the weekend with just a 62-point lead over Mclaren's Lando Norris, a lead that could be relinquished if Red Bull continues to underperform in the second half of the season. McLaren arguably has the fastest car on the grid, so it is down to Norris to beat Verstappen on merit from here on out.

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Practise 1, Azerbaijan. Image: Red Bull Content Pool / Getty Images

Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri​

Despite Red Bull’s dominant start to the 2024 season, McLaren has now emerged as a true title contender thanks to ingenious and consistent updates and form. The team sits just eight points off of Red Bull in the constructor's standings. As for the driver championships, Norris is 62 points off Verstappen.

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The tensions between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are rising. Image: Formula One

The Papaya squad is set to favour Briton Norris over Aussie teammate Piastri in the final eight races of the Formula 1 season. Norris has his title chances delayed by losing the lead to Piastri at the last event in Monza, Italy.

Talking to Formula One, Paistri had this to say on his role as second driver for the remaining eight rounds: “The team have asked me to help out and I’ve said for the last few races that if I was asked, then I would,” he commented. “Of course, naturally as a driver, it’s never an easy or simple thing to agree to. There’s a much bigger picture in play than just myself."

Adrian Newey Joins Aston Martin​

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have heard about the estimated thirty-million-pound deal that has brought the legendary Grand Prix car designer, Adrian Newey, to Aston Martin. This move has shaken the order up in the Formula One paddock and could be a reason for Red Bull's drop in pace, as Newey has stepped down as the team's designer already early on in the season.

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Adrian Newey, 2024. Image: Red Bull Content Pool / Getty Images

After 18 years with Red Bull, Newey is seeking new adventures at the struggling Aston Martin. Newey has said he feels under no pressure in his new role and is looking forward to the challenge of taking Aston Martin to the very top of both the Drivers and Teams World Championships.

Newey's specialism comes in building new cars to new rule sets. He was a major catalyst in Red Bull's first dominant era back in 2010-2013 as well as the 2021, 2022 and 2023 rocketships that have granted Max Verstappen his three world championships.

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Lance and Lawrence Stroll with Fernando Alonso and new signing, Adrian Newey. Image: Formula One

With the new rules coming in 2026, what will Newey cook up at the Aston Martin? Will an aging Fernando Alonso last at the team to see the fruit from the signing, or will Newey's Dutch friend from Red Bull make a shock switch to the Silverstone-based squad?

James Vowles Targets Future Successes​

Williams team boss, James Vowles, has given a crucial slice of insight for when fans of the Williams team can expect to see their beloved outfit back on the top of the podium. Vowles gave the 2028 season as a realistic target when it comes to the team fighting at the front of the field and judging by the progress shown by the team in just a few years, it is not an unrealistic target.


We cannot know what these thousands of steps look like for Williams, but it must be promising enough to get Carlos Sainz interested enough to put pen to paper. The glory days of Williams are far in the past, but there is still more than enough time for the team to rebuild, and Vowles appears to be doing that both externally and internally.

Who are you supporting this weekend and why? Let us know in the poll above and in the comments below!
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Connor Minniss
Website Content Editor & Motorsport Photographer aiming to bring you the best of the best within the world of sim racing.

Comments

Premium
My favorite track of the season.

Adrian Newey going to Aston Martin is so disappointing, not even the Air Bender that is Newey can fix the drag that is Lance Stroll. Of all the teams he could had gone to Aston was by far the worst decision driver wise imo. Daddy Stroll will just keep buying his son WDC Drivers to drive along side him until Lance becomes one himself. Now he's even talking about buying Max after Fernado. This isn't F3 where you can buy your title Daddy Sr. Employing only WDC to drive along side your nepo-son won't make him a WDC. Only happiness I get is Alonso will have a fighting car.
 
My favorite track of the season.

Adrian Newey going to Aston Martin is so disappointing, not even the Air Bender that is Newey can fix the drag that is Lance Stroll. Of all the teams he could had gone to Aston was by far the worst decision driver wise imo. Daddy Stroll will just keep buying his son WDC Drivers to drive along side him until Lance becomes one himself. Now he's even talking about buying Max after Fernado. This isn't F3 where you can buy your title Daddy Sr. Employing only WDC to drive along side your nepo-son won't make him a WDC. Only happiness I get is Alonso will have a fighting car.
The F3 title was hard earned. You won't become a F3 champion by just having a fast car.
A big pile of cash helps, but there are tons of young drivers with enough financial backing in F3.
Stroll can drive, but he is not consistent enough and keeps making stupid mistakes.
But there a handful of other F1 drivers that also should have taken a gardening leave.
To make room for new and maybe better drivers.
Still interesting to see what direction AM will go with Newey on board.
 
Premium
The F3 title was hard earned. You won't become a F3 champion by just having a fast car.
A big pile of cash helps, but there are tons of young drivers with enough financial backing in F3.
Stroll can drive, but he is not consistent enough and keeps making stupid mistakes.
But there a handful of other F1 drivers that also should have taken a gardening leave.
To make room for new and maybe better drivers.
Still interesting to see what direction AM will go with Newey on board.

So not to be to big of a dick but you look into everything you just said and then go look into that year Stroll won and all that happened that surrounded him during that time. Secret Sim time and Williams helping out hush hush just to name a few things. Do yourself a favor and look into it. Its a good dive.
 
Premium
Hamilton suggesting he is being purposely sabotaged by the team??? What a narcissist.
 
Premium
Lando had the best car in last 10 races but won only 2 of them, thats where you see the difference between him and for example Max or Lewis.
 
Premium
This 'teamwork' of holding back a driver for the sake of a team mate has to stop, I don't know how, but it must, these speeds are too high to play games like that.
Congrats to the Driver of the Day!
 
Wow wow wow what a race again, fantastic, so many teams and drivers fighting for the podium, this is getting better and better
 
Also so weird to see max struggling like that while checo was fighting for the podium (until the last lap xD).. congrats to oscar and charles anyway, great job.
 
How quick things can change; Mclaren now obviously the best car.
Red Bull now the underdog, and will be fortunate to win another race this year.
Solid performance by young Piastri, has to be said.
 

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