Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Ferrari on-song, but all eyes on Verstappen

Formula 1 has delivered plenty of action so far this season and a trip to Baku for this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix should produce another thriller. Can Mercedes recover from their recent blip, or will Sebastian Vettel be able to further extend his championship lead?

CIRCUIT DEBRIEF

• Top speed important due to the huge pit straight, measuring 2.2 kilometres
• Some big stops call for a car that's good on the brakes
• High probability of a safety car due to the close proximity of barriers
• Being a street circuit, grip starts low but evolves through the weekend
• This year's race held two months earlier, and will be cooler as a result
• Can be a challenge to 'switch on' tyres due to absence of high-speed corners
• Low-speed traction important due to stop-start nature of the circuit

WHO'S IN CONTENTION?

The early season formbook hints at a much closer battle at the front than we've seen in recent years and any one of the big three teams could challenge for the win with Baku representing a different challenge to the three circuits we've visited so far.

Vettel leads Lewis Hamilton by nine points in the championship and must be seen as the man to beat this weekend. The Baku circuit's stop-start nature and low-grip surface should suit Ferrari and their powered-up 2018 engine won't have too much trouble keeping pace on the longest straight on the F1 calendar.

Mercedes have performed well in the previous two races here, winning the 2016 race with Nico Rosberg before Hamilton was denied a likely victory by a loose headrest last year.

Despite their strong form here in the past, the 2018 Mercedes looks to have retained some of the diva-like tendencies of its predecessor, and the reigning champions have now gone three races without a win for the first time in the hybrid era.

After a difficult start to 2018 in Melbourne, Valtteri Bottas has bounced back well, outpacing Hamilton in the past two races, and he has form here after securing second place from a lap down in Baku a year ago.

Hamilton seemed uncharacteristically out of sorts in China, but he has proven his ability to thrive on pressure countless times in the past and will be targeting nothing less than a win to kickstart his and Mercedes' season.

Daniel Ricciardo is leading Red Bull's charge at the moment, and his stunning win in Shanghai showed that it is still possible to pass in F1, as did his victory in Baku last year, which featured an incredible triple-overtake.

VERSTAPPEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Max Verstappen's error-strewn Chinese Grand Prix summed up his difficult start to the season and he faces real question marks about his mental approach and decision-making for the first time in his short F1 career.

Baku is perhaps not the ideal race for Verstappen to prove his doubters wrong as the circuit requires aggression and precision in equal amounts.

The close proximity of the barriers leaves little margin for error, and Verstappen will need to exercise more caution than we've seen from him in recent races if he is to secure a good result.

Red Bull are likely to struggle on the 2.2km pit straight, so Verstappen will have to get his overtaking done elsewhere in the lap where the car should be stronger. Verstappen's father Jos has urged his son to 'think more' in the heat of the battle, so all eyes will be on the young Dutchman to see how he responds.

CHANCE TO SHINE FOR LESSER LIGHTS

Last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix had only 14 finishers, with nine of the 10 teams scoring points - a rare occurrence in modern F1. The unpredictable nature of this circuit coupled with the increased threat of a safety car presents an opportunity for smaller teams to pick up points this weekend and a few badly need them right now.

Williams and Force India have had dreadful starts to their respective seasons, with just one point scored between them compared to 33 at the same stage last year. Both teams have scored podiums here though, Sergio Perez in 2016 and Lance Stroll last year, and although a repeat for either team looks unlikely, a few points would provide a much-needed confidence boost.

Sauber put in one of their best performances here last season with 10th and 11th place, one of only two points finishes in their entire 2017 campaign. The Swiss team's rookie driver Charles Leclerc has found the going tough in F1 so far, but his majestic performance in last year's Baku F2 race - scoring pole, fastest lap and the win - makes him one to watch this weekend.