It will all be new for the teams and drivers this weekend as GP2 racing comes to the Baku City Circuit, Azerbaijan for the very first time and after another good weekend at Monaco the Racing Engineering team are facing the challenge in a very positive frame of mind.
Round two on the streets of Monte Carlo saw Norman Nato take second place in the Feature Race and sixth in the Sprint Race which moved him up to the lead in the 2016 GP2 Drivers’ Championship while Racing Engineering are in second spot in the Team Championship. Once again Jordan King proved to be very quick, as he had been in the opening round in Barcelona, and his intention is to translate this speed into points this weekend.
The Baku City Circuit is 6 Kms in length and is a temporary street circuit around the medieval city of Baku close to the the Caspian Sea. Unusually the circuit is raced in an anti-clockwise direction and comprises 20 turns, 8 turns are right-handed and 12 left-handed. Several of the corners are tight and narrow but there is a 2.2 Kms straight along the Neftchilar Avenue so the setup of the car will be very important. Pirelli will be supplying their P Zero White medium and P Zero Red supersoft compounds to the teams.
Practice: Fri 17 Jun 2016, 11:00 (GMT+4)Qualifying Session: Fri 17 Jun 2016, 15:00 (GMT+4)Race 1: Sat 18 Jun 2016, 12:00 (GMT+4)Race 2: Sun 19 Jun 2016, 14:00 (GMT+4)
Facts1. Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan, located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which is situated on the Caspian Sea.
2. The circuit layout was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke.
3. The circuit is projected to be the fastest street circuit in the world. The track is planned to have a narrow uphill section and then circle the Old City before opening up onto a 2.2 km stretch.
4. The track loops around the city's historical center will create a unique and remarkable atmosphere for fans watching from the grandstands and at home.
5. At 6,006 meters, the circuit is the second longest this season, only shorter than Spa-Francorchamps.
6. The city circuit features 20 turns: 8 turns to the right and 12 to the left. Only Singapore and Yas Marina have more corners.
7. After a long start-finish straight, the drivers encounter six consecutive 90° corners.
8. In Baku, corner 1 will be a good overtaking point.
9. Corner 7 is a complicated hairpin, where drivers will need to brake into a little zig-zag, before the second section.
10. Right after turn 8 (7.6m width) will be the most challenging part of the track. It is here that the road narrows significantly and where drivers will have to display skill and experience to make it through this section unfazed.
