Baku’s street circuit is the medieval backdrop for Formula One’s latest round of jousting between resurgent Red Bull and a Mercedes team anxious to move on from their Monaco misery.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix returns to the calendar for the first time since 2019 with Red Bull drinking in the view from atop the world championship standings.
Max Verstappen’s first Monaco triumph coupled with an insipid weekend for seventh-placed Lewis Hamilton saw the Dutchman deftly turn a 14 point deficit into a four point advantage in the race for the 2021 drivers’ crown.
In the constructors’ standings Red Bull transformed a 29 point deficit into a one point lead as they regained the summit for the first time since 2013.