Whiting: “Baku circuit will be ready”

This Tuesday, May 10, an FIA delegation led by Charlie Whiting and Hermann Tilke, architect of the latest calendar routes F1, went to Baku to inspect the progress of the work in preparation for the European Grand Prix, contested on June 19 in the capital of Azerbaijan.

A visit which satisfied the F1 race director, just over a month before the event. “The circuit will be ready. You can see the quality of all the facilities everywhere you turn your gaze, says Whiting. My next trip to Baku will be at the beginning of June and I hope to be able to say that everything will be ready!

The Briton also recognized that the Baku track should be a real challenge for the drivers. « It will be a fascinating F1 race. Turns 8 to 12 will probably be the most interesting, but so will turns 12 to 15, where the approach to turn 15 will be truly spectacular. The portion from turn 16 to turn 20 will be almost flat out and will also be impressive to see. If I had to compare a circuit to this one it would be Singapore, but the speed here will be much higher. »

Arif Rahimov, director of the circuit, is confident about the continuation of the work to come on the complex, before receiving the final green light. “Now it is up to us to ensure that this work is completed and to ensure that, during his next visit in early June, Charlie Whiting will be able to declare the circuit ready to host a race Formula 1.

We know it will and we will continue to work hard to make this an unforgettable and spectacular event for all the fans watching from our stands and on television. »

The Baku Grand Prix will start just after the arrival of 24 Hours of Le Mans, a conflict of dates which will not allow Nico Hulkenberg to defend his title in Sarthe. Pierre Fillon, president of the ACO, recently told NBC his wish not to see such a clash in 2017.