F1 LIVE | Azerbaijan Grand Prix - FP1

After Max Verstappen's victory in Monaco, the championship has been completely turned around. The Dutchman and his team head into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as leaders in the standings, but will they be able to maintain that lead? Follow this weekend's first free practice session in Baku here with GPblog's live blog.

LIVEBLOG | Azerbaijan Grand Prix - FP1

The 2021 Formula 1 season is going to be a lot more exciting than it has been in recent years. Red Bull Racing and Mercedes are really close this year and that makes for a tough battle among the constructors, but also among the drivers. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are also very close to each other.

Verstappen takes the lead

The Monaco Grand Prix was a turning point in the championship, which has so far been dominated by Mercedes and Hamilton. Red Bull and Verstappen were close, but still made mistakes. However, Mercedes' dramatic weekend in Monaco saw the tables turned completely.

And so Red Bull and Verstappen come to Azerbaijan as leaders, where they are also designated favourites. Mercedes may have the strongest engine for the straights, but on Pirelli's soft tyres and in the narrow streets of Baku, Red Bull should have the advantage. Whether that is actually the case we will see for the first time in the first free practice.