In near ninety degrees Fahrenheit, the heat was certainly on for the twenty drivers all racing hard to capture one of the most important pole positions in the 2013 UIM F2 World Championship calendar.
After alterations were made to the original 1800 metre course to bring it closer to the viewing public lining the Caspian Sea, several of the new drivers struggled to get to grips with the right hand turn inserted just past the pier and for many it meant propeller choice had suddenly become something of a lottery.
Having no such problems with the heavy revised circuit was reining World Champion Erik Stark but the heat was a different matter.
“We Scandinavians are just not used to this weather” said Stark. “Towards the end of the second session I really was struggling, my head just wasn’t with me.”
For Stark though the hard work had been done in the first session when he set his pole position time of 45.89 seconds.
“I just knew that it was crucial to set a good time in the morning session and fortunately I had two perfect laps when I was the only one out on the course.”
What came as a surprise to many was the pace set by several of the drivers who were finally getting to grips with their latest race-boats. It meant that for the first time all season Stark was forced to use almost all his allotted seventeen qualifying laps to guarantee that pole. Amongst those edging ever closer to Stark’s time was the Italian driver Paolo Zantelli. What his Clerici hull lacked in top end speed it certainly made up for in acceleration, undoubtedly the key to his quick lap.
“During that second session I was so sure that I could beat the time set by Stark” said the Italian. “It not the best prop I have but it did the business here today. Tomorrow will be different because these shorts straights will make overtaking almost impossible. I can’t remember a race where the start will be so critical, not just that though as I think the performance of the teams radiomen will either make or break the race.”
Third on the start grid will be Jonas Andersson, who had a slightly frustrating day.
“I don’t have the props for this type of course” said the driver racing for Team Azerbaijan, “I need a smaller one as it’s so obvious I’m loosing out in the accelerations stakes. I certainly don’t have the range of props that Stark has for F2, we’re getting there but it’s not what I had hoped for.”
With the temperature set to get even hotter for tomorrows Baku Grand Prix, there could still be flames on the water as the action gets under way at 17:00 local time.
