The FIA ​​​​has confirmed 16 major changes to the Baku street circuit, as well as the shortening of the DRS activation zones, ahead of round 17, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Formula 1 is visiting Azerbaijan for the seventh time. The inaugural race in 2017 took place in the country and was won by Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull.

Azerbaijan has 16 track changes and adjustments to the DRS zones

Since then, numerous changes have been made to the track. With Turn 8 being only 7.6 metres wide, it is the narrowest bottleneck of all F1 race tracks.

This season there are a total of 16 changes, ranging from a new car opening at the pit exit to small new asphalt areas between turns 2 and 3, turns 7 and 8 and turns 12 and 13.

Numerous walls around the race track have been realigned, including in the run-off area of ​​Turn 1, between Turns 3 and 4 on the right-hand side, Turns 12 and 13 on the right-hand side and Turn 15, also on the right-hand side.

This has resulted in the edge of the track at the exit of Turn 12 moving closer to the walls.

The full list of track changes:

• Added vehicle opening at the pit exit on the left side.
• Vehicle opening at turn 14 on the right side replaced by crash gate.
• Vehicle opening at the pit entrance on the left side replaced by a crash gate.
• Replace the crash gate at the pit entrance on the right-hand side with a vehicle opening.
• Realignment of the walls on the right side between Turn 3 and Turn 4.
• The concrete walls between Turn 12 and Turn 13 on the right hand side have been realigned.
• The trackside line at the exit of Turn 12 has been moved closer to the concrete walls.
• The concrete walls in the run-off area at Turn 16 have been replaced with new ones.
• The concrete walls between Turn 18 and Turn 19 on the left side have been replaced with new ones.
• The concrete walls on the right hand side of Turn 15 have been realigned.
• The concrete wall separating the straights between Turn 6 and Turn 7 on the left hand side and between Turn 19 and Turn 20 on the left hand side has been replaced by new concrete walls.
• The concrete walls in the run-off area of ​​Turn 1 have been realigned.
• Between Turn 2 and Turn 3 small patches of new asphalt on the left side in the Pit Exit Road and on the right side.
• Between Turn 7 and Turn 8 small patches of new asphalt on the right-hand side.
• Between Turn 12 and Turn 13 a strip of new asphalt on the right hand side in front of the barriers.
• New location of the medical center.

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In addition, the FIA ​​​​has also shortened the two DRS activation zones, one at the exit of Turn 2 and one along the long pit lane and in the braking zone for Turn 1.

The DRS zone at the exit of Turn 2 has been shortened by two metres, while the zone along the pit stop has been shortened by 100 metres to 347 metres after the last corner.

In his pre-race notes, race director Niels Wittich also explained the qualifying regulations to avoid traffic jams.

He writes: “To ensure that cars do not continue to drive unnecessarily slowly during and after the end of qualifying or during reconnaissance laps when the pit exit is opened for the race, drivers must respect the maximum time set by the FIA ​​between the safety car lines marked on the pit lane map.

“The teams and drivers will be informed of the maximum time after the second practice session.”

“In order to ensure the safe and orderly conduct of the Event, except in exceptional circumstances recognised as such by the Stewards, any Driver exceeding the maximum time from the second to the first Safety Car line on ANY lap during or after the end of the Qualifying Heat (including in-laps and out-laps) may be considered to be driving unnecessarily slowly.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this does not affect Articles 33.4 and 37.5 of the FIA ​​Formula One Sporting Regulations, which apply to the entire race track and also include the pit lane. Incidents are normally investigated after qualifying.”

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