The Baku City Circuit is a unique circuit on the Formula One calendar

The combination of high-speed straights and tight, twisty corners provides a real test. Looking back, the circuit’s challenging nature combined with our current package meant we didn’t achieve the result we wanted - but we return to base ready to regroup with an aim to come back stronger next time out.

Baku has been hosting F1 races since 2016 and it’s a circuit that Pierre, in particular, revels in, securing a podium here in 2021. Together with the vibrant culture of Azerbaijan, it’s always an enjoyable place to visit - and with our Team Partner Qatar Airways as title sponsor - we were delighted to read that the Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for another four years.

Enjoying the Baku City culture

We touched down in Baku and started the weekend with Media Day, which involved plenty of fun for both Pierre and Franco. The hospitality and cuisine in Azerbaijan are among the best of the year and both drivers tried their hand at making Qutab - a traditional dish featuring a thinly rolled dough to make a flatbread, resembling a kebab.

Our two racers also showed off their impressive knowledge of football, playing a game where they had to guess the famous football stars just from the badges of the club teams they have played for. Unsurprisingly Franco was particularly adept at identifying the Argentinian stars… They also had fun at the Fan Forum on Saturday morning, taking the stage with the Red Bull drivers and thanked the many fans for their support.

Also in Baku, BWT Alpine Formula One Team worked closely with Formula One’s community projects and SOS Children’s Villages Baku. This local initiative supports children and young people who cannot live with their families by providing them with a family-like environment. Ten children from SOS Children’s Villages got the chance to go behind the scenes last weekend, taking part in a series of activities including tours of the F1 Paddock, including a fun game with Pierre and Franco.

Taking to the city streets

The final job for Pierre ahead of practice was to appear in the FIA Drivers’ Press Conference. He was asked about his drive here 12 months ago - which he ranked as one of the best of his career - as well as his thoughts about Sprint races, with the six events recently announced for next year. He also spoke about the hard work under way in Enstone to prepare for 2026.

Both Pierre and Franco ran a total of 75 laps of the 6km circuit on Friday, running on both the C6 and C5 tyres. But the day was punctuated by stoppages and yellow flags. Still, the team trialled different wing levels to optimise the set-up for the remainder of the weekend.

The name Baku translates from an old Persian phrase for “windy city” and the gusts blowing in off the Caspian Sea played havoc with the highly sensitive nature of modern F1 machinery. Qualifying on Saturday lasted two hours as a record six red flags were flown. A gust of wind caught out both our drivers and Franco sadly hit the wall at Turn 4.

The team did a brilliant job in preparing Franco’s car, fitting a spare chassis and replacement gearbox. After starting P16 on new mediums, he made a strong start to the race, running just outside the top ten, but was unfortunately hit by Alex Albon’s Williams just after the first pit stop. He did well to recover from the spin, but picked up damage and came home 19th. Franco finished just behind Pierre, who overtook him on the penultimate lap after a late stop for mediums and a fair duel between our duo.

“We have some ideas on the areas we lack and where we need to improve,” said Pierre. “This track has proved difficult for us, but we will sit down together, work hard and aim to come back stronger at Singapore.”