Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe P2 starts on new Baku track

/By Azernews/

The qualifying race of the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe has started on the new Baku track.

With a length measuring at slightly over six kilometers, the 20-corner track will be lapped 51 times, with cars reaching potential speeds of up to 340km per hour, marking the circuit out as the fastest street circuit on the existing F1 calendar.

The circuit offers a number of challenges for drivers, including an extremely narrow uphill section along the old town walls that will require pinpoint accuracy, and it has an acceleration section of almost 2.2 kilometres along the seaside promenade, which will see the cars running flat out at very high speed - something that will create an incredible show for race fans.

In Friday’s opening practice session for the 2016 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe in Azerbaijan, the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg led the way from Williams’ Valtteri Bottas. However, it was Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo who showed just how punishing the walls of the new Baku City Circuit could be this weekend.