Max Verstappen aiming to break Baku jinx as records set to be broken - Azerbaijan GP stats and facts

F1 returns to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the championship fight finely poised following Sergio Perez's win at Monaco.

The Mexican has closed to within 15 points of team-mate Max Verstappen at the top of the championship, with the Red Bull pairing split by one-time standings leader Charles Leclerc for Ferrari.

The battle is set to continue around the Azeri capital and as ever we bring you all the stats and facts you need ahead of this weekend's event.

F1 street fighters at full-throttle

The Baku City Circuit is the third-longest track on the calendar at 6.003km. Only the Jeddah Corniche Circuit [6.174 km] and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps [7.004 km] are longer.

This venue boasts of the longest full-throttle section in F1 which starts at the exit of turn 16 and continues up to turn 1.

No repeat guarantee

No driver has taken pole position, the race win or the fastest lap at Baku on more than one occasion.

Each race at Baku has seen a different driver take victory, pole and the fastest lap since F1 first visited in 2016

Only Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas have won from pole here, with each of the other three pole-sitters have dropped out of the top three altogether.

Vettel to continue incredible run?

Only McLaren, Alpine, Alfa Romeo and Haas have failed to score a podium in Azerbaijan, whilst Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez are the only drivers to make three rostrum appearances at Baku.

Four-time champion Vettel has never failed to finish in the top four.

Verstappen's Baku jinx

Incredibly, Max Verstappen has never finished on the podium in Baku.

The Dutchman famously retired after a collision with Daniel Ricciardo in 2018, before a tyre failure cruelly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the closing stages of last year's event.

Red Bull and Ferrari aim to break ducks

Although Ferrari has taken pole twice at this venue, the Scuderia has never won the race itself but conversely, Red Bull has never taken pole here but has won the race twice.

Mercedes power pays dividends

A Mercedes-powered car has made it to the podium in each of the five Azerbaijan races so far.

Maylander to be busy in safety car

Barring the inaugural race in 2016, every event at the Baku City Circuit has seen a safety car or virtual safety car deployment, with the probability of seeing Bernd Maylander leading the field at 60 per cent.

The attrition rate is high too - a minimum of four cars retire from the race each year.

Azerbaijan to provide on-track fireworks

Amongst street circuits that have hosted a minimum of two races since 2017, Azerbaijan has seen the most average overtakes [40.75].

Ricciardo seeks to end barren run

Daniel Ricciardo won the 2017 race after starting from P10, the furthest back win at this event. He has only scored two points at Baku since then.

Hamilton streak to finish?

Lewis Hamilton has qualified on the front row in each of the last four Azerbaijan Grands Prix.

Rosberg's unlikely record

Nico Rosberg appeared in just one Azerbaijan race yet has led the most laps around this track with 51.

Alonso to set new F1 record

When Fernando Alonso takes to the grid on Sunday, it will be 21 years, 3 months and 8 days since his debut for Minardi in 2001, a new record for the longest interval between a driver’s first and last F1 races.

That record will extend, of course, across the season.

Sundaram Ramaswami -Twitter/Instagram - @f1statsguru