F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weather forecast

It is clear from Friday practice in Baku that the main concern for the drivers going into this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the wind speed and its direction.

Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen complained on a number of occasions about the wind during the two practice sessions as he hurtled down the main straight, with his car visibly moving.

This weekend, with Baku basking under sunny skies, the wind will prevail, with strong gusts now and then, so it will play a part.

What can be expected is a dry qualifying and race, unlike in Monaco a fortnight ago when rain spiced up proceedings, not that this circuit requires that to provide an entertaining race, as has been the case over the years.

Last season, Red Bull's Max Verstappen suffered a shocking blowout when set for a comfortable victory, sparking a chaotic restart that culminated in Sergio Perez winning his first race for the team.

The Mexican returns to Baku on the back of his latest victory in Monaco to close the gap to Verstappen at the top of the drivers' standings to 15 points, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc sandwiched in between the duo.

For which team will the weather prove most advantageous this weekend?

Azerbaijan Grand Prix weather forecast

Saturday: A fine sunny day for final practice and qualifying, the latter at 6pm local time when the temperature will be 26 degrees Celsius. There is no threat of rain, while humidity is low, in the mid-30s. As for those winds, they will be 11-12mph, leading to gusts in the low 20s.

Sunday: Race day is set to be the best day of the weekend. Without a cloud in the sky, temperatures are due to rise to 30 degrees Celsius for the race start at 3pm local time, with a zero per cent chance of rain. Humidity will again be in the 30 per cent range, with wind speed rising to 14-15mph, and gusts of around 28-30mph.

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