2016 European Grand Prix

Championship standings

Rosberg leads Hamilton by 9 points — 116 to 107. Vettel is third with 78 points, Ricciardo fourth with 72, Räikkönen fifth with 69. Mercedes holds 223 points in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead of Ferrari with 147 and Red Bull with 130.

Previous race

Hamilton won Canada despite losing the lead to Vettel at the start. A Virtual Safety Car period turned the race when Vettel pitted and lost ground to Hamilton, whose single-stop strategy proved decisive. Rosberg suffered a slow puncture and an extra stop, finishing fifth; the gap at the top of the championship narrowed to nine points.

Track changes

The European Grand Prix returns to the calendar for the first time since 2013, this time at a brand-new street circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan — the first Formula One race held in the country. The circuit, designed by Hermann Tilke, runs through the Old City and along a waterfront boulevard, featuring long straights and a tight medieval section. The FIA declared the circuit ready following a final inspection in May, though drivers have noted limited run-off at some corners and a tight pit entry at one of the fastest points on track. Following problems with loose kerbs cutting tyres during GP2 qualifying, modifications were made at turns 6 and 12, replacing the kerbs with painted markings. The pit entry was also extended ahead of qualifying.

Tyres

Pirelli provides the super-soft, soft and medium compounds. The ultrasoft was not brought despite Baku being a street circuit — Pirelli cited a lack of performance data on the new surface. Pirelli warned teams about the risk of “standing waves” on the high-speed sections and concerns about the temporary covering over cobblestones in the Old City potentially breaking up in predicted high temperatures.

Practice

FP1 (first ever session on the Baku circuit): Hamilton set the fastest time (1:46.435), followed by Rosberg and Bottas. Several drivers had off-track moments on the unfamiliar layout. Gutiérrez was first into the run-off at turn 15; Hamilton also touched the barrier at turn three and flat-spotted his tyres. The session’s biggest incident came when Ricciardo crashed at the exit of turn fifteen, losing a rear wheel and causing an eleven-minute red flag.

FP2: Hamilton led again, 0.7 seconds ahead of Rosberg. Rosberg’s running was cut short when he coasted to a halt with twenty minutes remaining — he had lost drive. Ferrari struggled in eighth and thirteenth with both cars suffering energy recovery unit problems. Bottas was fourth; Pérez was third. Carlos Sainz Jr. spun at turn one but finished sixth.

FP3: Hamilton topped for the third session in succession (1:44.352). Bottas missed the session entirely after running over a drain cover on his installation lap and damaging his car floor. Massa touched the wall; Räikkönen was limited by a power unit problem; Pérez crashed at turn fifteen to bring out a red flag at the end.

Milestones

This is the first Formula One race held in Azerbaijan, and the first time the European Grand Prix has been held outside Europe.