F1 QATAR AIRWAYS AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2025 Pre Race Thread | FerrariChat
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F1 QATAR AIRWAYS AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX 2025 Pre Race Thread

Discussion in 'F1' started by DF1, Sep 14, 2025 at 2:06 PM.

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  1. DF1

    DF1 Three Time F1 World Champ

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    FRA - nice city with a really big airport :)
    #1 DF1, Sep 14, 2025 at 2:06 PM
    Another very fast race comes soon! :)

    Certainly the big question is this: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/what-does-the-surprising-speed-of-max-verstappen-and-red-bull-mean-for-baku/10759323/
    After Verstappen's Monza win: Can Red Bull carry its surprise pace into Baku?
    Max Verstappen took a surprise win in Monza, but what does Red Bull’s dominant showing in Italy mean for the upcoming F1 races – starting with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku?

    --Mekies immediately touched on two important points. Regarding the car itself, part of the standout performance was indeed track-specific. Not only did Red Bull have a much-improved low-downforce package – unlike last year – but the RB21 generally performs better on tracks like Monza. It’s a view Verstappen shares: “I think it's still a bit track dependent. In Monza you drive low downforce. It seems like our car is a bit more competitive when it’s low-downforce to medium-downforce. It's not that suddenly we are back, and it's not like we can fight every single weekend now.”

    That said, it should be noted that Baku, with its long straights, might suit Red Bull fairly well. The street circuit in Azerbaijan is a bit of a mixed bag for the team. The long full-throttle sections should play to the RB21’s strengths, but Verstappen has repeatedly stated that street circuits and bumps remain two major weaknesses. Baku has both positives and negatives for Red Bull – though overall, it should still be a reasonable fit. So it is no coincidence that Helmut Marko, even before the Italian GP, named Baku as a potential chance to win. The real test will follow afterwards in Singapore, a track that theoretically suits the RB21 much less.--
     
  2. johnireland

    johnireland F1 Veteran
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    #2 johnireland, Sep 14, 2025 at 3:03 PM
    If Max can qualify in the top three, he has a chance to grab the lead and hold it. But I don't think he should focus the car set up on the turns, but rather on the straights. I'd love to see him taking points away from Norris and Piastri, and make them worry about coming in third to Max's finishing second. Ferrari isn't even a factor anymore, just a name in the online gift shop.
     
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  3. 375+

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    #3 375+, Sep 14, 2025 at 3:53 PM
    Love this track, I am pulling for Max and Charles.
     
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  4. jgonzalesm6

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    #4 jgonzalesm6, Sep 14, 2025 at 9:01 PM
     
  5. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 jgonzalesm6, Sep 14, 2025 at 9:03 PM
     
  6. DF1

    DF1 Three Time F1 World Champ

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    FRA - nice city with a really big airport :)
    #6 DF1, Sep 15, 2025 at 1:57 AM
    Weather is good overall. 40% chance of rain Friday afternoon
    Saturday is 22C sunny and windy with gust to 50kmph
    Sunday is 22C sunny and less wind.
     
  7. DeSoto

    DeSoto F1 Veteran

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    #7 DeSoto, Sep 15, 2025 at 4:42 AM
    Of the modern street circuits, this is one of the few that is half good. At least you get to see some of the city, not a lot of armco barriers in something that looks a parking lot. The racing is so so, because passing in the straight with DRS is relatively easy, so you end waiting for the safety car lottery to at least mix the cards.
     
  8. johnireland

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    #8 johnireland, Sep 15, 2025 at 5:10 PM
    Understand that Charles and Lewis will be working the gift shop this weekend and letting the relief drivers race the cars.
     
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  9. watt

    watt Formula 3

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    #9 watt, Sep 16, 2025 at 7:01 PM
    Good Olde Johne --- when he's right, he's still really right:

    Ferrari isn't even a factor anymore, just a name in the online gift shop.
     
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  10. steved033

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    #10 steved033, Sep 17, 2025 at 6:35 AM
    His positive outlook in this forum and other is simply....INFECTED..INFECTIOUS...like a week old metal splinter...

    (for the record, I laughed)
     
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  11. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #11 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 10:56 AM
  12. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #12 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 10:57 AM
  13. jgonzalesm6

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    #13 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM
  14. jgonzalesm6

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    #14 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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  15. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #15 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 1:02 PM
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  16. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #16 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 2:24 PM
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  17. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #17 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 2:26 PM
  18. jgonzalesm6

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    #18 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 2:27 PM
  19. jgonzalesm6

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    #19 jgonzalesm6, Sep 17, 2025 at 2:28 PM
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  20. johnireland

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    #20 johnireland, Sep 17, 2025 at 4:32 PM
    Let the video simulater race begin! On the other hand, I think Liberty and the FIA could rake in some really big money by having all the drivers placed in 1982 F1 cars and have to race here and at Monaco. The could have zero open testing...just like now...and they would have 1 hour each for FP1, FP2, FP3 and qualifing. And then we'll see who is really a race driver.
     
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  21. 11506apollo

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    #21 11506apollo, Sep 17, 2025 at 11:42 PM
    I just watched the YT video of a Ferrari 206 win a race at Goodwood against a bunch of Ford GT 40s, that was epic .
    That was real racing not this farce.
     
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  22. johnireland

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    #22 johnireland, Sep 18, 2025 at 12:19 AM
    I'm lucky that I got to race cars from my youth in vintage racing. In 1956 my dad took me to the SCCA club races at the Palm Springs airport...MGs, Alfas, Maseratis, a couple of 300 SLs, Allards, Healeys...I had never seen or heard or smelled anything like it. In 1988, the boy had grown up and I was back at that same airport in my 1958 Alfa Spider Veloce, in the same stock configuration that it would have been raced 30 years earlier. I even did a 360 coming onto the front straight, and recovered and pressed on without losing a place. A 13 year old boy's dream come true.
     
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  23. Jack-the-lad

    Jack-the-lad Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #23 Jack-the-lad, Sep 18, 2025 at 9:32 AM
    I’d rather be at Goodwood or historic Le Mans than at any F1 race.
     
  24. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #24 tifosi12, Sep 18, 2025 at 10:58 AM
    In that case here's one to consider: Historic F1 in Monaco

    Happens every two years a week before the actual F1 GP. Absolutely awesome event. I got press credentials and was able to walk everywhere, visit every team etc. F1 cars from all decades.

    As for Goodwood: I assume you refer to the circuit where everybody dresses up in historic costumes. Absolutely awesom and IMHO the best event. Goodwood hillclimb is fun too but obviously lacks the historic aspect somewhat.
     
  25. Jack-the-lad

    Jack-the-lad Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #25 Jack-the-lad, Sep 18, 2025 at 11:03 AM
    We’ve been to seven or eight Revivals since our first in 2002 but they got to be a bit “much” in terms of crowds and commercialization, so now we only go to Members’ Meetings. The”hillclimb” doesn’t interest me at all.
     
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