The inaugural Azerbaijan Grand Prix race was held in 2016. A year later, coming to the current fourth newest circuit on the Formula One calendar, Baku City Circuit is one of the eighteen out of twenty races where Esteban Ocon would score points in 2017. So far, there has never been a repeat winner of this race circuit but Baku is known for being unpredictable so anything can be in store for this weekend’s race.
As Ocon said, “It’s a street circuit I enjoy, and we know that anything can happen there. Unlike Monaco, there are plenty of overtaking spots and you’ll find significantly lower downforce because of the long straights and high-speed sections. We’ll be seeing wheel to wheel action down the straights which is very exciting for a track like this”.
Ocon received a penalty during the last race because of his fight with Lewis Hamilton on track. He did not agree with this penalty but the AMG Petronas Mercedes Formula One team principal Toto Wolff didn’t want to publicly blame Esteban, seeing as he is one of their up-and-coming drivers.
“Sunday was a different story with very tricky conditions for most of the race, and in the end receiving a penalty and ending outside of the points. The result doesn’t reflect where we were as a team last weekend. However disappointing, we left Monaco with our heads held high knowing that we had a good car which was able to compete well inside the top 10”, Ocon reflected on the Monaco Grand Prix.
Seeing as Ocon sits ninth on thirty points in the Championship Standings, he is looking to repeat this in Baku. He strives to be as successful as he possibly can be.
“We need to ensure we are in a good position for Sunday to be able to bring home some good points for the team after the disappointment in Monaco. I am personally looking forward to racing there given last year I could only complete three laps before having to retire the car with a mechanical issue. So, I am definitely excited to get our Baku GP weekend started.“
