FLOYD ON F1: Action-packed weekend in Baku on the cards

It has been two weeks since the officialdom’s debacle in Melbourne and it’s two more before F1 action restarts in Azerbaijan.

The cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix on 16 April due to Covid created a considerable hiatus in the 23-race season, but many of the teams are grateful for the Easter break. A time to see friends and families before heading off to the Baku street circuit – always a tricky one with many walls waiting to catch out the unwary.

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Sprint format

Recently Liberty Media, FOM, the FIA and teams met to discuss the coming sprint race in Baku and all agreed to change the entire F1 weekend format. Friday’s two free practices (FP1 and FP2) become just one in the morning, while the afternoon session becomes qualifying for Sunday afternoon’s main race. Saturday morning practice becomes qualifying for the sprint race, which will be run that afternoon.

Sunday remains the day of the Grand Prix which will run, as per F1 tradition, in the afternoon.

So there you have the latest brain wave to ensure spectators, fans and television audiences will be entertained, an action-packed weekend for all we are assured. But it could bring difficulties for some.

McLaren takes a chance

Baku is the race selected by McLaren to deliver a raft of upgrades to improve the performance of the MCL60, a move definitely required if Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are to feature this season. The pair only managed to accumulate 12 points in the driver’s world championship this season.

But is it possible to upgrade and set up the car for the track with just one hour of testing permitted for the entire weekend? That is a tall order and quite honestly I have my doubts.

Ferrari F1 team chief Fred Vasseur, who approves of the concept and its trial run was quoted as saying: “I like the format. I’m not a big fan of the usual FP2.

“Sometimes it is a bit boring, not for us because we have a lot of data, but I can imagine for the spectators if they don’t know about the level of fuel, the engine mode and so on. To try to have something more dynamic during the weekend is a good decision.”

He continued: “If you watch football you’re not watching the session on Wednesday, when they are training in the stadium. We are probably the only sport where we are putting the training session on TV.”

F1 much more risky

What a strange analogy, team training on a grass pitch surely cannot carry the same risk factors of a 300 km/h F1 car requiring myriad adjustments to ensure speed, chassis dynamics and most importantly driver safety.

But let us not limit the spectacle for all the new fans, after all engineering advancement is of lesser significance and the bottom financial line is paramount…