Kimi Antonelli could not replicate his Monza magic after a crash in qualifying during the Formula 1 race held on the streets of Baku, Azerbaijan, this past weekend. Although the race predates Liberty’s acquisition of the sport by a few months, it serves as a microcosm of the sport as it exists today.
Race Overview
The Baku track is a real challenge, taking place on dusty city streets lined with concrete walls and through a medieval fortress gate, followed by a 1.4-mile (2.2 km) flat-out blast to the finish line, with gusts of wind from the Caspian Sea nearby. The mix of modern and classical architecture in Baku shares the stage with a massive hospitality and pit lane complex.
This year, the race was held a day earlier than normal to avoid clashing with Azerbaijan’s celebration of its recent war with Armenia, reminiscent of the controversial decisions made during Bernie Ecclestone's tenure.
Qualifying Drama
The proximity of the walls leaves very little margin for error at the high speeds of F1 cars. Last year, qualifying was interrupted by six red flags due to crashes. This year was less dramatic, except for championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The 20-year-old misjudged his front grip going into turn 1, clipped the wall with his left front tire, and crashed during the first knockout qualifying session. Although he had already set a time good enough to advance, the damage meant he would start the race from 16th.
