Has Any F1 Driver Been the King of Baku Streets at the Azerbaijan GP?

The 2023 Formula 1 season has hit a long break way ahead of the summer break. The cars have come to a halt for three weeks. But upon return, they’ll be back on one of the most exciting street circuits on the circus’s route, i.e., the Azerbaijan GP. Having already become an iconic street circuit at the center of the country’s capital, Baku, it is known for its high-speed straights, tight turns, and heart-pounding action. So far, in the five editions of racing, it has never failed to deliver an electrifying race that hasn’t left us on the edge of our seats.

So, who is the champion of the circuit? Before finding that out, we must know that the Baku Street Circuit, which hosts the Azerbaijan GP. It made its Formula 1 debut in 2016. However, back then, it was held as the European GP’s last edition and was renamed the Azerbaijan GP in 2017. Therefore, we’ll be determining the grid’s champion on the basis of the numbers from 2017 onwards, when the Azerbaijan GP actually came into existence.

Held five times since 2017, with a break in 2020 following the COVID-19 pandemic, a different driver has won each of the races, with no repeats. Yes, such is the level of chaos in Baku when F1 races there, with only a maximum of 16 cars finishing the race. So, to determine who is the king of the streets of Baku, we can only calculate the points won by each driver so far.

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With that logic of success spanned over the period, Lewis Hamilton comes out as the king of the streets of Baku with 65 points to his name, with him only finishing out of the points once. A surprising entry in the form of Sergio Perez follows the Mercedes driver with 57 points, who before the win with Red Bull in 2021 was also on the podium with Force India in 2018. And former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas has won the last place on the overall podium with 43 points, keeping his place despite finishing three times out of the points.

Has Lewis Hamilton won in Baku?

The success of Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1 is unparalleled by any other driver currently present on the grid. He has triumphed on a number of tracks, but Baku has been a challenge for the Briton every time. He hasn’t been able to fortify here despite being the highest points gatherer.

Having been out each time on the track, Lewis, much like others, has only one win at the Azerbaijan GP. This came in 2018 when he started P2. Apart from that, the Briton has been on the podium in one more instance, where he finished P2 beside his then-teammate Valtteri Bottas in the 2019 season.

However, the numbers are still shocking given the stature of Hamilton. Even with the ever-powerful Mercedes machinery underneath him during his formidable years, the driver has found it particularly difficult to leave his mark here. The woes for him were even more evident in the rounds in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, where in 2021 he went off on a straight after looking set to win and suffered terrible backaches in 2022 due to the heavy porpoising of the Mercedes W13.

Who have been the surprises at the Azerbaijan GP?

Unbelievably, the diversity on the podium here is staggering. But in constructors, either a Mercedes or a Red Bull has won all the races. In the five races so far, we’ve had five different winners, listed in order: Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, and Max Verstappen. The Bulls outperform their rivals by just a solitary win. However, apart from the winners, we’ve had Lance Stroll for Williams, Sebastian Vettel for Ferrari and Aston Martin, Kimi Raikkonen for Ferrari, Pierre Gasly for AlphaTauri, and George Russell for Mercedes on the podiums.

The crashes have also been iconic here. Be it Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo’s in 2018 or Max Verstappen’s tire implosion in 2021. The track had been a great shock for everyone, as indicated by the number of DNFs in the opening rounds.

Returning for the sixth time, the track could witness more drama. Looking at the gains made in Australia, Lewis Hamilton will have an improved car than the last time. This could potentially put him on another podium. On the other hand, Max Verstappen would be looking to improve his track record of only one podium. With Charles Leclerc holding the race lap record of the circuit, he would like to get his hands on silverware.

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Who do you think will come out on top this year? A resurgent Mercedes or the flying Red Bulls? Or perhaps Fernando Alonso? Let us know in the comments below.