#BakGP: Practice - Friday

2019 FIA Formula One Socar Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Practice – Friday

26.04.2019

Weather: partly cloudy, 16°C air, 39°C track; FP2: partly cloudy, 18°C air, 35°C track

TOLLEDECKEL*
*Schwyzerdütsch for drain cover

Boy did we jinx it by saying that we remember Azerbaijan only for the Eurovision Song Contest participation – abracadabra and there was a loose drain cover and we’ll remember an amazing circuit and an amazing city for all the wrong reasons.
By the way: it’s singer/songwriter Chingiz to represent Azerbaijan at the finals in Tel Aviv in 18 days with the song “Truth”. The truth is, he should perform a famous Nirvana song: DRAIN YOU!

Kimi Räikkönen (car number 7):
Alfa Romeo Racing C38 (Chassis 02/Ferrari)
1st practice: no time lap / (1 lap) / 2nd practice: 14th / 1:45.482 (30 laps)
“Obviously it was far from ideal for everybody and we looked like amateurs here today. It should not be like this. It’s up to the FIA to make sure that the track is like it’s supposed to be. It seems to be that every year some drainage hole comes loose, or something slides up. Luckily nobody got hurt, but it obviously destroyed everybody’s day.”

Antonio Giovinazzi (car number 99):
Alfa Romeo Racing C38 (Chassis 03/Ferrari)
1st practice: no time lap / (1 lap) / 2nd practice: 12th / 1:45.366 (31 laps)
„Again I could only drive one session today. For me it is becoming quite normal as I also missed FP1 in China – at the next race I’ll only show up on Saturday. Joking aside, FP2 was not too bad and I got quite a few laps in. I’m happy with the car and even if I’ve been given a 10-place grid penalty I think something is possible here.“