The Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicks off the final leg of the 2024 F1 season as one of the first flyaway races after the European leg concluded in Italy. The Baku City circuit made its debut on the F1 calendar in 2016 as the “Grand Prix of Europe”. Since 2017, it has been deemed as the Azerbaijan GP and tends to produce surprising results. In fact, only two of the seven races in Baku have been won from pole position, and three of those have seen victories come from the front row.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Key stats and records
In the seven races that have been held so far at the Baku City circuit, Sergio Perez holds the record for most wins and most podiums at this track, with victories in 2021 and 2023 for Red Bull and a total of five podiums to his name.
Charles Leclerc is another driver to watch this weekend as he has secured the most number of pole positions in Baku, with three consecutive poles from 2021 to 2023. Leclerc is yet to win in Baku, though. So, the #16 driver would like to be the next surprise winner of the Azerbaijan GP, coming on the back of a masterful win in Monza two weeks ago.
charles leclerc on pole position in baku for 3 consecutive years
2021, 2022, and 2023 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/uEKpmzxtGW
— lor (@lercsainzz) April 28, 2023
The 2024 Azerbaijan GP will also be the first full F1 race weekend for Oliver Bearman at Haas, who made his debut earlier this season with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia. Bearman should have a decent outing in Baku as he took a lot of confidence by winning both the sprint and the feature race in Baku during his 2023 F2 campaign.
It is also a milestone weekend for Alexander Albon as he will compete in his 60th Grand Prix for Williams. This will also be his 98th Grand Prix start overall, putting him just two races away from the 100-race milestone.
On the teams’ front, Red Bull holds the record for the most wins in Baku, with four victories in 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2023. Meanwhile, Ferrari holds the record for the most pole positions, with four poles in 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Other driver milestones to look out for at the 2024 Azerbaijan GP
Several drivers are on the verge of significant career milestones this weekend in Baku. Lewis Hamilton could match Fernando Alonso in terms of the total racing distance in F1 by crossing the 100,000 km mark. To achieve this, Hamilton needs to complete just five laps during the race.
George Russell could also reach the milestone of scoring 600 points for Mercedes and to achieve this, he will have to score 19 points or more on Sunday. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri could also reach an overall 300 points in his F1 career if he scores six or more points on Sunday in Baku.
Lando Norris is chasing multiple milestones this weekend with his championship fight also a big aspect in mind. Scoring all 26 available points on Sunday would push him to 900 career points. Moreover, a podium finish would elevate him to the same level as legendary drivers Stirling Moss, John Surtees, and Alan Jones, each of whom has 24 podium finishes.
Leclerc is also chasing multiple milestones this weekend as a win in Baku would see him get equal with Denny Hulme, Jacky Ickx, and Daniel Ricciardo, each of whom has eight career victories, placing them 37th on the all-time winners’ list. Additionally, if he manages to set the fastest lap on Sunday, it would be his 10th for Ferrari.
