[Official] Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2019: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 4 of 21

[Born Racer]

Unfortunately, work commitments mean I will be mostly away until Sunday morning, so can't do a preview.

If anyone wants to do a short one, feel welcome. Fortunately, it coincides with a race without much history to comment on yet. Hopefully, this weekend will add to that anyway.

What are your abiding memories from the Baku circuit?

[bjohnsonsmith]

I was really looking forward to watching this live, as the last two races have been absolute crackers. Unfortunately, it will be highlights on C4, or even catch up from C4.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

I was really looking forward to watching this live, as the last two races have been absolute crackers. Unfortunately, it will be highlights on C4, or even catch up from C4.

Thanks anyway, Born Racer! The Castle section of the circuit is memorable, as was the collision between the two Red Bulls last year....

At least the C4 highlights are on early Saturday and Sunday evenings, but that will mean adopting the usual news blackout beforehand....

[Adam43]

I’m in two very different time zones over the weekend. Not sure how this will fall with the travelling and sleep. I might resort to F1.tv if I can’t find a telly with live coverage.

[VIVA GT]

I will be recording the C4 qualifying & race highlights shows as I'm at Donington this weekend for the BTCC meeting. I doubt however if I'll get the chance to watch either however before learning the results, but at least I'll have something to refer back to if anything 'interesting' happens.

[steve_r]

My Preview: Road Rage, Mayhem, Overtakes, Battles, Crashes, Safety Cars, Lame excuses, Debris, headrests falling off, tyres exploding, teammates annihilating each other, unexpected podiums.

I think that just about sums up the history of this event, and I for one am very much looking forward to this race.

[Anyopenroad]

Comedy of errors from the organisers so far. Loose manhole destroys a Williams and the truck recovering it hits a bridge, spilling oil everywhere.

Session will not be restarted because they have to check every drain cover and, presumably, the bridge. So we lose FP1.

[Greem]

I would be very, very surprised if Williams can get Russell's car fixed. From his and Claire Williams' comments (I didn't see the incident) it sounds as thought they're very concerned indeed about the tub.

[steve_r]

Of all the teams, it would have to be Williams wouldn't it. They were short of spare parts at the beginning of the season and on the back foot anyway, and now this.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by Greem

I would be very, very surprised if Williams can get Russell's car fixed. From his and Claire Williams' comments (I didn't see the incident) it sounds as thought they're very concerned indeed about the tub.

My money would be on it being a write-off and the organisers writing Williams a very large cheque. It was a very big hit, quite scary.

[Mike E]

https://twitter.com/SkySportsF1/stat...385076224?s=19

[wnut]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-x_H3knnWk

YouTube version for the ten seconds that it will be allowed.

[steve_r]

Did they weld down the manhole covers in previous years?

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Did they weld down the manhole covers in previous years?

I thought it was a statutory requirement that manhole covers were welded down for a street race circuit?

[S griffin]

Bad circuit management in modern F1 to let that draincover work loose

[chillibowl]

part of me is impressed that the Williams was able to generate enough downforce to pull up the cover in the first place!

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

part of me is impressed that the Williams was able to generate enough downforce to pull up the cover in the first place!

I didn't/doesn't :-)

Leclerc ran over it with his left hand wheels a few seconds before and loosened/dislodged it. Russell then ran right over it and it destroyed the underside of the car, spraying carbon fibre everywhere.

[Richard C]

Reading that there are over 300 manholes on the track surface!

Richard

[Aysedasi]

Dodgems on raceday then.......

[GT6]

Shame for Williams and a real pity for anyone there waiting to see the cars, very lucky no one was hurt.

[bjohnsonsmith]

In future, maybe they should weld them.

[owrforever]

Mr. Russell is lucky he didn't lose his "manhood!"

[morninggents]

I seem to recall the same thing happened many years ago but can't remember where, when or to whom. Probably a street course somewhere.
I think they welded all the covers in place prior to the race.

[ApexTurtle]

Most recently it was Grosjean at Sepang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRTlGvdwIr8

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by ApexTurtle

Most recently it was Grosjean at Sepang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRTlGvdwIr8

It was a lose drain cover, which was welded after the accident.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12...grosjean-crash