Antonelli chases third consecutive victory at Azerbaijan GP
The short version
- Antonelli leads Russell by 81 points with eight wins this season
- Baku opens a run of three races in three weeks, with Malaysia and Singapore following
- The race runs Saturday due to Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day on Sunday
- Leclerc has four straight Baku poles but no win at the circuit
- Hadjar returns from injury; Lawson reverts to Racing Bulls
The Mercedes driver arrives in Baku 81 points clear in the Formula One title standings as a three-race run begins.
Formula One moves to Baku this weekend for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Kimi Antonelli looking to make it three wins in a row. The 20-year-old Mercedes driver has taken eight victories this season and holds an 81-point advantage over teammate George Russell as he chases Italy's first drivers' title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Team principal Toto Wolff urged caution despite the strong run of form. He said recent results were encouraging but guaranteed nothing, and that Baku would quickly expose any weakness. He added that the upcoming stretch of three races in three weeks would test the team's preparation, reliability and execution.
The Baku event, which joined the calendar in 2016 and was called off in 2020 during the pandemic, is the 10th running of the race. It has been moved to Saturday this year because Sunday is Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day. Antonelli admitted luck played a part in his Madrid win, where a virtual safety car cost McLaren's Lando Norris the victory.
Charles Leclerc has taken four consecutive poles in Baku before crashing in final qualifying last year, but the Ferrari driver has never won the race. Teammate Lewis Hamilton, a former Baku winner, sits third in the standings but 101 points off the lead and has conceded his title hopes. Max Verstappen goes for a third Baku win with Red Bull, which has five victories at the circuit, while McLaren's Oscar Piastri targets a second.
Verstappen called the circuit challenging and technical but said he has good memories there. Red Bull also confirmed Isack Hadjar returns from a broken wrist this weekend, with stand-in Liam Lawson going back to Racing Bulls.