Mercedes more competitive in Baku but Red Bull favourite

After the weekend in Monaco, this weekend will see another street circuit: Baku. In Azerbaijan the expectations of Red Bull are high again. Mercedes, and it's team, has lowered it's expectations a bit. The majority however expects Mercedes to find its form again.

Like Auto, Motor und Sport. In the preview article for the race weekend, the site firstly maps out the differences between Baku and Monaco. "Being a street circuit is the only thing the two circuits have in common. The road in Baku is much wider in most places, the corners are much faster, and with the straight almost two kilometres long, there is one of the longest following sections in the entire calendar."

This is why the rear wing will play a big role in Baku, which of course is currently the subject of much debate.

"There will be slightly smaller rear wings screwed on in Baku than in the first five races of the year. Here we expect completely newly developed models, especially from the bigger teams. Because downforce is not so important in Baku and testing new parts on the slippery asphalt is difficult, we do not expect any other technical fireworks in Baku. The mechanics prefer to use the limited training time for set-up work."

Red Bull vs Mercedes in Baku

Because also in Baku it will be mainly between Red Bull and Mercedes again. Ferrari were very fast in Monaco and were able to get involved in the battle, but Auto, Motor und Sport expects this weekend that Ferrari will have to look backwards rather than forwards. The site further sees an advantage for Red Bull in Baku.

"In Monaco, the circuit was relatively clear in Red Bull's favour. In Baku, Mercedes should now be considerably more competitive again. The black painted Silver Arrow is always strong when all-round qualities are required. The good aerodynamic efficiency provides a lot of contact pressure with relatively little drag. With the small differences we saw in the first races, it ultimately depends again on who finds the better setup for the race and keeps the tires more consistently in the desired performance range."

In short: the rear wing, which will be subject to new testing the weekend after Baku, will also be the subject of much conversation this coming weekend. The role of this particular part of the car will be huge in Baku, and Toto Wolf has already indicated that he is not ruling out a protest to the FIA next weekend. Especially if the differences between Red Bull and Mercedes in Azerbaijan prove to be significant.