Baku, April 27, AZERTAC

The fourth edition of the Formula 1 World Championship dubbed as Formula 1 SOCAR Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2019 has officially launched in Baku on Friday.

AZERTAC presents the most unforgettable highlights of the second longest track on the current F1 calendar Baku City Circuit ahead (6.003km) of the great weekend.

During the first free practice session, George Russell running over a loose drain cover limited running in Free Practice 1 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to just 12 minutes, before the session was suspended to allow track repairs to be effected.

Meanwhile, Ferrari stamped their early authority on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend in Free Practice 2 in Baku, with Charles Leclerc heading team mate Sebastian Vettel by 0.324s, but nearly seven-tenths clear of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in third.

The 2nd practice saw the Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat’s quick lap – before he stuck his car in the wall and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll’s crash, which meant the end of the session for both of them.

F2 races: Practice sessions and qualifying

Formula 1 SOCAR Azerbaijan Grand Prix also featured Formula 2 races with its practice sessions and qualifying which were no less excited than previous races.

Nobuharu Matsushita brought home his second and Carlin’s third ever F2 pole position in today’s FIA Formula 2 Qualifying, at Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Japanese driver sealed top spot with a time of 1:54.555, to finish ahead of ART Grand Prix’s Nyck De Vries and UNI-Virtuosi’s Luca Ghiotto.

On April 27, Baku will host the third free practice session and qualification race, as well as the first Formula 2 race. Formula 1 SOCAR Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the 2nd Formula 2 race will be held on the last day of the races, April 28.

The 2019 season is the fourth Formula 1 race held around the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan. German driver Nico Rosberg from Mercedes AMG F1 team won the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe in Baku in 2016, while the 2017 and 2018 editions of the F1 races saw Red Bull Racing's Daniel Ricciardo and Mercedes pilot Lewis Hamilton with crown on the podium.

The specially constructed street circuit see F1 cars race around the stunning downtown area of Baku, incorporating its UNESCO-protected old city – Icheri Sheher historical-architectural reserve – as well as its modern skyline and beautiful Caspian Sea promenade. Hermann Tilke, the architect behind most new Formula 1 tracks, designed the layout of the circuit.

The Baku City Circuit loops around the central and the most picturesque streets of Baku. When it came to selecting the perfect route for the race, the organizers decided to emphasize the panoramic view of the city.

The length of the widest part of the track is 13 meters, and the narrowest width is 7.6 meters between the turns 7 and 8, which are situated along the Icheri Sheher (Inner City).

The Start and Finish lanes will be located at the Azadlig Square. The Formula 1 Paddock, team garages and pit lanes are also located there.

-0-