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The teams today
got to grips with the second-longest track on the calendar, which contains a
number of unique characteristics such as an extremely high top speed in
excess of 350kph.
As a result, the priority was track familiarisation and data collection with
all three P Zero tyres nominated: medium (used only for FP1 installation),
soft and supersoft, which different teams ran during the course of both
sessions. As expected, there were warm temperatures and a high degree of
track evolution with an extremely slippery surface at the start of the day
in particular. In the afternoon, conditions were more overcast.
Following FP1 a problem was identified with the kerbing, resulting in damage
to some of the rear-left tyres, but with no deflations or loss of pressure.
The problem was rectified prior to FP2, although the race director advised
drivers to stay off certain kerbs, which will be fixed tonight.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time of the day, establishing
what is currently the lap record on the supersoft tyre, during FP2. There is
a performance gap of a second between the soft and supersoft tyres for now,
but with the track still evolving so rapidly, the definitive gap – and
therefore the likely race strategy – will only be seen following FP3
tomorrow.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli motorsport director: “Baku has proven to be a
different challenge compared to the majority of circuits we visit. Being a
new track, initial running was on a slightly dirty surface that evolved
throughout the sessions. The high winds weren’t helping today as teams
searched for the ideal set up to maximise performance and maintain tyre
performance in the optimal window. We will now compare our actual running
data to the pre-race simulations in order to understand any differences
between the two.”
Minimum prescribed tyre pressures: 22 psi (fronts) 22 psi (rears)
Pirelli fact of the day: Baku is the only capital city – and grand prix – in
the world to be located below the level of the sea, and also the largest
city in the world to be found below sea level. The ‘altitude’ in the ‘City
of Winds’ is minus 28.
Spotted in the paddock: Gulhuseyn Abdullayev. The 19-year-old is currently
Azerbaijan’s only racing driver, who had the honour of completing the very
first laps of the Baku City Circuit in a GP3 car last month. He’s hoping
this race will kick-start a new motorsport scene in Azerbaijan: to begin his
career, he had to travel to Turkey for his first seasons in karting. |
FP1 - TIMES FP2 - TIMES
1 Hamilton 1m46.435s Supersoft 1 Hamilton 1m44.223s Supersoft
2 Rosberg 1m46.812s Supersoft 2 Rosberg 1m44.913s Supersoft
3 Bottas 1m47.096s Soft 3 Perez 1m45.336s Supersoft
FP1 - BEST TIME PER COMPOUND
Medium Hulkenberg 1m49.301s
Supersoft Hamilton 1m46.435s
Soft Bottas 1m47.096s
FP2 - BEST TIME PER COMPOUND
Medium Rosberg 1m45.792s
Soft Hamilton 1m45.102s
Supersoft Hamilton 1m44.223s
MOST LAPS BY COMPOUND
Supersoft Magnussen 20
Soft Palmer 19
Medium Haryanto 11
Tyre statistics of the day:
Medium Soft Supersoft
kms driven * 528 4122 2496
sets used overall ** 16 54 26
highest number of laps ** 15 27 28
* The above number gives the total amount of kilometres
driven in FP1 and FP2 today, all drivers combined.
** Per compound, all drivers combined.
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