Does Rosberg need a Baku win more than Hamilton? Ferrari and Red Bull close gap on Mercedes, and F1 takes step into the unknown...
Monday 20 June 2016 13:29, UK
No more breathing space for Nico
Not much has gone right for Nico Rosberg since the Spanish GP on May 15.
Or, more precisely, the moment he successfully swept around the outside of Lewis Hamilton in a brilliant run to Barcelona's first corner. At the time the bold overtake looked set to propel Rosberg towards an eighth successive victory and a 50-point championship lead.
Of course, it was an expectation that lasted just three more corners before the Mercedes drivers ended marooned in the gravel trap, yet the initial feeling in the aftermath was that, while Rosberg may have lost another win, it was Hamilton for who the crash would prove more costly in the long run. He had a mountain to climb in the title race, right?
One month on, and that theory has proved completely incorrect. While Hamilton has got back to winning ways in Monaco and Montreal, Rosberg has finished just seventh and fifth. Throw in the no score from Barcelona, and that's just 16 points from a maximum 75 in the last three races. Hardly title-winning form.
The consolation for Nico is that he still leads the championship, but now doesn't enjoy the breathing space his winning start to the season earnt him. Nine points, the equivalent of a fifth place, is nothing after seven of 21 races and, on recent form, Hamilton could well leave Baku at the head of the standings for the first time in 2016.
Not for the first time in the last two years, Rosberg is being questioned again - he needs to be the F1 driver who conquers Azerbaijan first. JG
They're coming for you, Mercedes
The Rosberg-Hamilton battle is back, but nothing has been more refreshing for F1 than the re-emergence of Ferrari and Red Bull in 2016. What's more, it's led to seven cracking grands prix.
The top four were split by just 0.3s in Canada qualifying, while better race strategy would have surely had Sebastian Vettel walking away with a win.
Wolff: Rivals are right behind
For the first time since they began their era of dominance Mercedes are under threat from two teams at every circuit, and don't they know it.
"The speed of both the Ferrari and Red Bull is pretty much where we are now," said Toto Wolff. "We are seeing the convergence of performance between teams that naturally comes with stable regulations - and that has made the competition tougher than ever."
Rosberg concurred, adding that "Ferrari and Red Bull are very close to our pace now" - something he witnessed first-hand when losing out in battles with Vettel and Max Verstappen in Montreal.
A new race this weekend makes it difficult to predict, though Red Bull are reportedly expecting to lose about 1.2s on the huge main straight. A chassis to work through the tight corners and a fired-up Daniel Ricciardo might just help.
However, It's Ferrari who are due a win. Their turbo upgrades have seen them match Mercedes for power and the Scuderia may be a better bet to challenge the Silver Arrows here. Perhaps that's why Sky F1's Johnny Herbert is tipping Vettel for victory.MM
Welcoming a step into the unknown
A European GP in Azerbaijan; welcome to F1.
Montreal and Baku may present one of the most absurd back-to-backs in the sport's history - with almost 6,000 miles separating the two cities - but there's always a buzz surrounding a new event on the calendar, if not only because it's a different challenge.
European GP: A first look at Baku
The world's best drivers in the world race on instinct but having only worked through this track on the simulator, we're set for three days of intriguing action.
One factor that is sure to help the spectacle and the atmosphere is the fact it's in the heart of the city, not far from the harbour front. Think Monaco on the Caspian Sea.
The extremely narrow section through Turns Eight and 10 looks exciting, winding round the ancient-city walls with many a change in gradient. A 1.2 mile straight is perhaps where the Monaco comparisons end and Montreal's begin.
"The track layout is a really impressive hybrid of the buzz of a street circuit, with its tight narrow streets and close racing, and a more traditional track, where there are high speeds and solid overtaking opportunities," said Fernando Alonso.
Esteban Gutierrez added that it seems like "a completely different racetrack", while Felipe Massa expects a mix between Monte Carlo and Singapore. No pressure, then.MM
