Azerbaijan GP: “Second-rate” players take advantage of Max

Max Verstappen's bad run, who hasn't won for three months, benefits ; all its main rivals. Will the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend confirm this new situation??

Time is starting to seem long for Max Verstappen. Accustomed for two years to leaving only crumbs to the competition, the triple Formula 1 world champion is going through a bad patch. Since his success in Barcelona on June 23, the Dutchman has not once been first under the checkered flag. Almost three months of famine during which his usual rivals have shared the cake almost equally. The last six Grands Prix have given birth to of five different winners.

Lewis Hamilton, twice, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and George Russell triumphed when the Red Bull drivers – let's not forget the almost invisible Sergio Perez – dragged their spleen onto the track. This tightening of the grid is a godsend for Formula 1 and it would have taken a sacred divinatory art to imagine that two-thirds of the way through the season four teams would be playing practically in the same league. A new homogeneity that is found in the constructors' world championship where three teams – Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari – are separated by just 39 points after sixteen races. When Mercedes, weighed down by a difficult start to the year, can boast of winning one Grand Prix out of two in the last three months.

Will the future still smile on Red Bull's rivals? ? The signals are not very good for the Austrian team and Verstappen even seems to have accepted to no longer dominate the debates and to simply try to scratch the maximum of points here and there to resist the return of Norris, who is 62 lengths behind. In Baku, on an urban circuit often conducive to twists and turns, the “second knives” will do everything to extend the series. So happy to finally leave the shadow of Red Bull.

What time to watch the Grand Prix ofAzerbaijan ?

This seventeenth Grand Prix of the season marks the return of F1 to Asia, five months after a stopover in Japan and China. With Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, two hours ahead of Paris, the weekend's times will be two hours ahead of what is traditionally done in Europe. The drivers will therefore enter action on Friday morning for the first free practice session while the race will start on Sunday from 1 p.m.

• Free Practice 1 at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, September 13 (duration: 1 hour)
• Free Practice 2 at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 13 (duration: 1 hour)
• Free Practice 3 at 10:30am Saturday, September 14 (duration: 1h)
• Qualifications at 2pm Saturday, September 14 (duration: 1h)
• Grand Prix à 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 15 (duration: 2 hours maximum)

Which TV channel to watch Grand Prix d'Azerbaïdjan ?

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be broadcast exclusively on the channels of the Canal group, holder of the rights to the Formula 1 world championship. The three free practice sessions will be broadcast on Canal+ Sport while the premium channel will broadcast qualifying and the race, Sunday from 13:00

• Friday: Free practice 1 at 11:15 a.m. + Free practice 2 at 2:45 p.m. on Canal+ Sport
• Saturday: Free 3 at 10:15 a.m. on Canal+ Sport + Qualifications at 1:40 p.m. on Canal+
• Sunday: “The Grid” program at 11:55 a.m. + start of the Grand Prix at 1 p.m. on Canal+

Ranking of the drivers' world championship (after 16 Grands Prix)

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 303 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) 241 points
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 217& nbsp;points
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 197 points
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 184 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 164 points
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 143 points
8. George Russell (Mercedes) 128 points
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 50 points
10. Lance Stroll ( Aston Martin) 24 points
11. Niko Hülkenberg (Haas) 22 points
11. Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) 22& nbsp;points
13. Daniel Ricciardo (Racing Bulls) 12 points
14. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 8 points
15. Oliver Bearman (Ferrari) 6 points
15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) 6 points
15. Alex Albon Williams) 6 points
18. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) 5 points

What are the dates of the F1 Grands Prix in 2024?

The 2024 Formula 1 season will feature 24 Grands Prix. It began at the end of February, at Bahrain, and will end in early December in Abu Dhabi. Here is the full F1 2024 calendar with times given in French time:

1. Bahrain GP (Sakhir): Saturday 2nd March (Winner: Verstappen)
2. Saudi Arabia GP (Jeddah): Saturday March 9 (Winner: Verstappen)
3. Australian GP (Melbourne):Sunday 24th March (Winner: Sainz)
4 . Japanese GP (Suzuka): Sunday 7th April (Winner: Verstappen)
5. Chinese GP (Shanghai): Sunday 21st April (Winner: Verstappen)
6. Miami GP (Miami): Sunday May 5th 10 p.m. (Winner: Norris)
7. GP of Emilia-Romagna (Imola) : Sunday May 19 (Winner: Verstappen)
8. Monaco GP: Sunday May 26 (Winner: Leclerc)
9. Canadian GP(Montreal): Sunday June 9(Winner: Verstappen)
10. Spanish GP (Barcelona):Sunday 23 June (Winner: Verstappen)
11. Austrian GP (Spielberg): Sunday 30 June (Winner: Russell)
12. British GP (Silverstone): Sunday 7 July (Winner: Hamilton)
13. Hungarian GP (Budapest): Sunday 21 July (Winner: Piastri)
14. Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps) : Sunday 28 July (Winner: Hamilton)
15. Dutch GP (Zandvoort): Sunday 25 août  (Winner: Norris)
16. Italian GP (Monza): Sunday September 1st (Winner: Leclerc)
17. Azerbaijani GP (Baku): Sunday September 15th 1 p.m.
18. Singapore GP (Marina Bay): Sunday September 22 à 2 p.m.
19. US GP (Austin): Sunday 20 October à 9 p.m.
20. Mexican GP (Mexico) : Sunday October 27 à 8 p.m.
21. Brazilian GP (Interlagos): Sunday November 3rd 7 p.m.
22. Las Vegas GP (Las Vegas) : Sunday, November 24 à 6h
23. Qatar GP (Losail): Sunday October 1st 3 p.m.
24. Abu Dhabi GP (Yas Marina): Sunday December 8 2:60 p.m./p.62