After the Italian GP, which set new records for average lap speed and overall race pace, Formula 1 heads east for the eighth edition of the Azerbaijan GP.
In fact, the Baku street circuit has already hosted eight Grands Prix, since it was first used in 2016 for the 23rd edition of the European GP.
Last year, the Azerbaijan GP was watched on TV by 86 million people, while the grandstands hosted 20,000 spectators.
The GP data
According to Brembo engineers working closely with all Formula 1 drivers, the 6.003-meter-long Baku City Circuit falls into the category of highly demanding tracks for braking systems.
On a scale of 1 to 5, it scores a difficulty index of 4, as brakes are used 12 times per lap for almost 20.5 seconds, equivalent to one-fifth of the race. There are 7 braking zones classified as Hard, 2 Medium, and 3 Light.
The 88.6 tons of force each driver applies to the brake pedal from start to finish represents the season’s peak.
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The toughest corner
The most demanding corner for braking at the Baku City Circuit is Turn 1: cars approach at 329 km/h and decelerate to 119 km/h in 2.12 seconds, covering 108 meters.
Drivers endure 5 g of deceleration, the same as at Turn 3, but the load applied to the brake pedal is higher, reaching 176 kg.
The braking power delivered is 2,758 kW.
The crowning moment
McLaren could clinch the Constructors’ World Championship this weekend. The team currently holds 617 points, a massive 337-point lead over its nearest rival, Ferrari.
After the Azerbaijan GP, 7 Grands Prix and 3 Sprints will remain, meaning each team could still score a maximum of 346 points (301 from GPs and 45 from Sprints).
Therefore, if McLaren secures a victory and a 3rd place finish on Sunday, the title would be mathematically sealed.
McLaren’s decision to adopt Brembo brake calipers for the first time was influenced by Ayrton Senna in the late 1980s.
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Sergio number one
Regardless of the outcome, Sergio Perez will remain the record holder for victories at the Azerbaijan GP. Should Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, or Lewis Hamilton take the win, the Mexican would be matched at two wins.
If another driver triumphs, Perez will stay the sole recordman thanks to his victories in 2021 and 2023 with Red Bull. Sergio will return to F1 in 2026 with Cadillac, paired with Valtteri Bottas, who also won in Baku, but with Mercedes.
The only things the two will have in common are the tires and Brembo brake calipers—no small detail.
The magic brake
The 2021 Azerbaijan GP was interrupted with three laps to go due to Max Verstappen’s crash.
On the front row at the restart were Perez and Hamilton, but the latter inadvertently activated the button known as Brake Magic at Turn 1, ending up in the run-off area.
This switch is designed to heat up the front tires by shifting brake balance from just over 52% to 85% to the front, but it is only meant to be used behind the safety car.
On that occasion, it generated excessive braking effort, causing the wheels to lock.