F1 in Azerbaijan: That was almost a close-run thing

What happened

The 20-year-old sophomore misjudged how much front grip he had going into turn 1, found more than expected, and clipped the corner of the wall with his left front tire. Formula 1 raced on the streets of Baku, Azerbaijan, this past weekend.

Although the race predates Liberty’s acquisition of the sport by a few months , it’s a rather good microcosm of the sport as it exists today. The proximity of the walls leaves very little margin for error at the speeds F1 cars go around Baku.

Last year , qualifying was interrupted by no less than six red flags after crashes. This year was much less dramatic, unless you were championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Key facts

• The 20-year-old sophomore misjudged how much front grip he had going into turn 1, — found: more than expected, and clipped the corner of the wall with his left front tire