JOHANNESBURG - The Baku City Circuit used at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix hasn't been around for long, but it has already caught the imagination of the Formula One-loving public.
It is one of the better designed street circuits in recent years, with two long straight - which includes the 2.2km main straight that allows the speed of the cars to be fully unleashed - and corners that are often punctuated by 90° angles.
The width varies significantly.
On the main straight, for example, three cars can go abreast as they jockey for position at the first corner, while in other parts, specifically Castle Corner, it is so narrow that you could flippenly argue that not even three people could walk side-by-side.
Due to the layout of the track and the team setups, it is expected that Mercedes will have a slight upper-hand this weekend, despite their torrid result in Monaco. The Silver Arrows have won the last two races, so they will be confident they can overturn the recent successes of their rivals Red Bull.
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Another record that could possibly stand by the end of Sunday, is the stat that no driver has won the race twice. Daniel Ricciardo won the first race in 2017 - and honestly there is very little chance he will repeat the feat this time around such has been his poor form - followed by Lewis Hammilton a year later and Valtteri Bottas in 2019.
Ferrari, meanwhile, have every opportunity to build on their excellent performance last weekend, and another good showing at Baku will bolster their revival in the eyes of the paddock and the Tifosi.
IOL Sport