Formula One (F1) fans are eagerly anticipating the fourth race of the season, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will take place in Baku this weekend (Motorsport.com). The weekend kicked off on Friday with the first practice session for the race, which was covered live by various news outlets, including F1 AS IT HAPPENED and GPFans. The practice was followed by a Sprint Shootout session, an abridged version of qualifying that lasts less than an hour, which determined the starting grid for the Sprint race on Saturday.
The Sprint race is a standalone event that has been introduced this season to add excitement to the race weekend (Motorsport.com). It takes place over 100 km, takes just over half an hour, and is worth three points to the winner. Formula 1 fans are looking forward to watching the race, which will be broadcast live on TV channels.
Fernando Alonso, the driver of the Aston Martin team, expressed his frustration over a DRS issue that prevented him from qualifying higher than sixth for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Motorsport.com). Several other drivers and teams shared their reactions to the practice and qualifying sessions, which were covered by Motorsport.com and F1.
The future of Formula 1 is also being discussed, with some questioning whether there should be more cars on the grid. Stefano Domenicali, the president of F1, emphasized that prospective new F1 teams must bring value to the championship in the medium to long term (Sky Sports).
Overall, F1 fans have a lot to look forward to with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend (Motorsport.com). The addition of the Sprint race is expected to add excitement, and fans will be keeping their eyes glued to their screens to watch the action unfold.
