The Best Drivers to Watch at the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Formula 1’s 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place this Sunday at 7 a.m. (EDT) and will air on ESPN in the United States. The race is 51 laps around the Baku City Circuit in the Azerbaijani capital, which first hosted the race in 2016 (when it was called the European Grand Prix). If you’re one of the many Americans who started watching F1 in just the last year or two, you can take heart: This track has only a little bit more experience with Formula 1 than you do.

The circuit has a few key traits that—in the minds of F1 fans, at least—make it stand apart. One is the track’s long, flat-out third and final sector. Drivers can really step on the throttle in that lengthy, slightly bending portion, and a lot of overtaking tends to happen there. Another hallmark of the track is a tight, windy second sector where cars have often run into the walls. A particular danger point is the uphill left-hand Turn 8, where lots of cars have seen their runs end prematurely over the years:

The drivers’ championship battle has three serious contenders at the moment, while Red Bull Racing has taken a commanding but still not insurmountable lead over Ferrari for the constructors’ title. Here are a few drivers worth following as you wind your way through the race weekend.