Fan Poll overwhelmingly chooses 2017 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and Ricciardo Triple Pass as Best Race and Best Moment in Baku City Circuit History
With less than 2 weeks to go until Formula 1 returns to Baku City Circuit (BCC) for the fifth time on the weekend of June 4 – 6, the Home of the Street Fighters wanted to know which of the previous 4 races already staged at the fastest, wildest and most unpredictable street circuit in F1 ranked highest for fans.
The resulting survey of BCC supporters provided a resounding answer: the 2017 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix has taken pole position in the hearts and minds of F1 fans, with a massive 85% agreeing that this was their favourite race ever to be staged in Baku!
In a quick-fire poll, conducted via Baku City Circuit’s social media channels, over 1000 fans cast their vote to choose the race that gave birth to the Street Fighters moniker – one that the Azerbaijan race has worn with pride ever since – beating the equally incident-packed 2018 Grand Prix into second place ahead of the 2019 and 2016 races respectively.
The second race weekend in Baku in June 2017 has been widely recognised as a game-changer, the day the stunning Baku City Circuit lived up to the hype and delivered one of the most action-packed and dramatic races in Formula 1 history, including the infamous moment the two title contenders at the time – Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton – collided in an incident no one who witnessed it will ever forget.
Ultimately, the race ended with Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo unexpectedly securing the win ahead of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas and the youngest rookie to ever secure a spot on the podium at the time, Williams’ 18-year-old Lance Stroll.
It was an unforgettable drive by the popular Australian. Starting from 10th on the grid after a crash in Qualifying, all looked lost for Ricciardo when he had to pit on lap five with his brake temperatures reaching precarious levels after a feverish first few laps. However, on a day when absolutely anything could – and indeed did – happen, he was able to work his way back up the places to gain a quite remarkable victory.
Indeed, his magnificent triple pass at Baku’s high-speed Turn 1– overtaking Nico Hülkenberg, Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll – to rise from P6 to P3 in the process, was also voted as the Azerbaijan GP’s Most Memorable Moment in the same survey, with 83% of fans overwhelmingly voting the Honey Badger’s extraordinary flash of daring as their favourite ever Baku moment.
This incredible manoeuvre by Ricciardo was followed in the fans vote by a moment he would prefer to forget: his crash with his Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen in 2018 as well as the notorious Vettel/Hamilton clash (2017) and the much-loved ‘I think Ericsson hit us’ moment when Romain Grosjean inexplicably spun into the barriers under a safety car (2018).
As we enter the final stretch of preparations for the 2021 FORMULA AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX, Baku City Circuit continues to work towards delivering another round of world-class racing action to the watching world that will live up the standards set by its four predecessors.
Since its Formula 1 debut in 2016, Baku City Circuit has quickly become a fan & driver favourite, producing some of the most exhilarating racing in recent memory with four spectacular race weekends of high-speed, high-octane action and entertainment.
In addition to clashes, crashes and unexpected podiums the Home of the Street Fighters has also welcomed superstar performers including Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, The Black-Eyed Peas & Jessie J who have added further glamour to the biggest annual weekend on the Caspian shore.
With recent confirmation that the event will continue to visit Azerbaijan’s beautiful capital city until at least 2024, we can look forward to further incredible excitement igniting the heart of Baku.
This year’s F1 weekend promises to serve up more unpredictable drama in a season that is already shaping up to be a titanic battle for the drivers’ championship between 7-time winner, Lewis Hamilton & the pretender to his crown, Max Verstappen.
With 4 different winners in each race so far, the question now is whether we will see a new winner in 2021 to mark the fifth F1 race in Azerbaijan?
We won’t have to wait much longer to find out.