Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022 – My Take

Despite the Baku Street Circuit being entertaining and challenging, with a great mix of tight, slow sections typical of a city course, and extremely-high-speed ones, we have witnessed another boring and predictable race.
The “script” seems the same for a while now, with Charles Leclerc overperforming his car every Saturday while Red Bull is always opting for a set-up aiming at highest top-speeds, which guarantees easy overtaking and defending where it matters; a strategy that has been proven to be the successful one.
I believe it would have been a Red Bull 1-2 anyway, regardless of others misfortunes.

I always asserted that Red Bull has the better overall aerodynamic package and only their reliability issues were keeping the World Championship closer than the performance of the cars but now, with the reliability situation completely tipped over, both title races can be considered already over.
Verstappen seems at that stage of his career, that most Champions have, where he looks untouchable, mentally unscratchable, fast and reliable, with a tiny amount of luck at the right moment.
It has happened to all the bests.

Ferrari will have to put it together now, and defend the second place from Mercedes, which is much slower but is constantly gaining points due to all the retirements of the Scuderia.
The context in Maranello is particularly alarming as in Azerbaijan, as well as in other recent weekends, there have been four retirements due to issues with the Italian power units, which are suggesting that either there is a spread reliability problem, or that they’re pushing too much.
Either way, it doesn’t look good to re-open the title fight.

Let me open a small excursus here on Ferrari: I’m firmly convinced that there is a big technological obstacle in the factories in Maranello, and a big gap with the main rivals.
They were shining when private tests were allowed, an area where the Italians were an excellence, with a dedicated team and circuit near the plant; since their ban, we constantly see wrong concepts being developed, new ideas difficult to set-up and fine tune, slower and often counter-productive upgrades, and a wider range of issues compared to the other top teams.
It can’t be a coincidence, it can’t be always unluck, especially because many scapegoats in the past have been sacrificed with no result whatsoever.
Even if it sounds strange, for a brand synonym of technology, high standards and quality, I don’t think that Ferrari ever adjusted to the new sim-era of Formula One

The others too far, starting with Mercedes nearly one minute behind the Bulls, with Russell again showing Hamilton what it means to have a fighting teammate and not a sparring partner, leaving him half a minute behind.
The usual honorable mention to the two old lions, Vettel and Alonso, the first constantly schooling the paying Stroll, who looks more and more unfit for Formula One, the latter still squeezing out of his car a race pace that doesn’t seem realistic.

All in all it has been a long procession not disrupted even by a 2km straight with DRS; little by little all teams are understanding the new cars and are converging on flatter performance.

Not knowing the weather forecast for Montreal, next week, I’m expecting pretty much the same as normally we’ll have similar temperature and circumstances as today.

Meanwhile, my first circuit design for Assetto Corsa is now available for download. Check it out!