Talking points ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

After a three-week pause for everyone to catch their breath following a record-setting FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2023, F1® returns with a bang with round four of the season in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (Apr 28-30), the first leg of a back-to-back with Miami next weekend.

Given Red Bull dominated the first three races of the season, taking all three victories and two 1-2 results, the end of the first phase of the year was timely for the chasing pack, giving them more time to scratch their heads to work out how to rein in Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, who've cruised out front so far.

Here are three talking points we're watching ahead of this weekend.

A Sprint, with a twist

Sprint races at Grand Prix weekends are nothing new – the 2021 British Grand Prix was the first of six race weekends so far to feature a 100-kilometre Saturday race ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix proper – but the first of six 2023 sprints is new on the streets of Baku.

In a bid to encourage more wheel-to-wheel racing on Saturday, the Sprint and Grand Prix will feature their own separate qualifying sessions, meaning your Sunday starting position won't be dictated by where you finished on Saturday. In theory, that should free the drivers up to take more risk and push over 17 laps on Saturday … but at a street circuit where walls lurk at every turn, it remains to be seen if Baku will show the best features of a tweaked format.

Rewards are on offer for the brave, but Baku has a reputation for being a car-breaker and ego-bruiser …

Silver Arrows pointing up, or sideways?

For Lewis Hamilton, last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix summed up his 2022 predicament in one lingering TV image, the seven-time world champion gingerly getting out of his ill-handling, heavily-porpoising Mercedes with his back hurting and eyes rattling after finishing a massive 71 seconds adrift of Verstappen in fourth. Baku brought out the worst of Mercedes' ever-present bouncing last year, and things have only got better since … because they arguably couldn’t get worse.

Hamilton was an assured second in Australia last time out, so all eyes will be on Toto Wolff's squad to see if Albert Park's smooth surface and mild temperatures made Mercedes look better than it really is, or if the W14 has turned a corner as a potential challenger to Red Bull from now on.

Perez has to bounce back

A fifth-place finish when you start from the pit lane, a Driver of the Day award and the fastest lap of the race is nothing to be sniffed at … unless you're Sergio Perez, who left Melbourne only slightly content after his fighting drive from the back at Albert Park. When you have the best car in the field by a street, and when your teammate Verstappen wins from pole while leading all but 11 of 58 laps, the Mexican was left to rue his costly qualifying in Australia, where repeated brake issues in cooler temperatures had his anger at boiling point after he beached his car in the Turn 3 gravel.

The winner of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Perez arrived in Australia just one point behind his teammate – and left 15 points adrift and with an opportunity lost. With Red Bull enjoying such a significant car advantage so far this season, the 2021 Baku winner has to stem the tide this weekend before Verstappen threatens to bolt up front.

The Formula 1® Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023 will be available to watch live on Foxtel and Kayo. See our What time does the 2023 Australian Grand Prix start in Australia article for timings.