Paul Tamayo

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Bylines for Fox Sports PH, SportyTrader, ClutchPoints, and Franchise Sports UK.

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No Rest for Mad Max: Verstappen Set to Participate in GT Race at Portimão

Oct 3, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Bahrain GP: Mercedes Upgrades Its Aesthetics and Performance in Malaysia

Oct 3, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Daily: Mercedes' Upgrades at Malaysia, Sepang's Tricky Weather, and More

Oct 3, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Bahrain GP in Malaysia: The Key Storyline for Every Team in Sepang

Oct 3, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Stock Watch: Who Has More to Lose at Sepang?

Oct 3, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Bahrain Grand Prix: Takeaways From Free Practice 1 and 2

Oct 3, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Bahrain GP: Heat Hazard Race Declared in Malaysia

Oct 3, 2026

F1Roundtable

Esteban Ocon's Best Races in Haas F1 Uniform

Oct 1, 2026

F1Roundtable

Official: Esteban Ocon To Leave Haas After 2026 Season

Sep 30, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Daily: Alonso Stays, Ferrari Backs Vasseur, and a Potential Stormy Sepang

1

Sep 30, 2026

F1Roundtable

Esteban Ocon's Unwavering Confidence and Potential WEC Transition

1

Sep 30, 2026

F1Roundtable

No Surprises: Aston Martin Retains Alonso and Stroll for 2027

Sep 29, 2026

F1Roundtable

Red Bull Signs Hadjar For 2027: Which Seats Remain Vacant?

1

Sep 25, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Breakthrough: Jamie Chadwick Completes 32 Laps in an F1 Car

1

Sep 25, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Azerbaijan GP: Why Drivers Love Racing at Baku

The streets of Baku first hosted a Formula 1 race in 2016, with Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg emerging victorious. It was still called the European Grand Prix then, but in 2017, the event was renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Spearheaded by famous track designer Hermann Tilke, the Baku City Circuit is a street track that's unlike other conventional street circuits. Similar to Monaco, drivers need to be precise in navigating the tight walls around here, but the Baku layout actually provides genuine overtaking opportunities. Red Bull has largely dominated here, winning five of the nine F1 races held at Baku, including four of the last five. Of course, they'd have a more difficult time in 2026, with current championship leader Kimi Antonelli extracting consistently good performance from his Mercedes car. What makes Baku different from other street circuits? The street circuits at Monaco, Singapore, and most recently, Madrid, are predominantly slow, technical, and confined. This makes it very difficult for drivers to overtake, like we just saw in that uneventful Spanish Grand Prix at the Madring. But Baku is a different beast. After winning the 2017 Azerbaijan GP, Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo said that Baku's different from other street tracks because there are "lots of places where you can pass." Max Verstappen also chimed in with his thoughts, saying that the castle section is "a lot of fun to drive." The longest flat-out section on the calendar The straight from Turn 16 to Turn 1 stretches a full 2.2 kilometers with drivers fully on the throttle the entire way. We've seen a lot of epic overtakes at the end of the straight. Oscar Piastri's very bold dive into Turn 1 helped him snatch the race lead from Charles Leclerc and win the 2024 Azerbaijan GP. But drivers have to be very careful with their braking technique here. After spending so long at full throttle, the car reaches Turn 1 at enormous speed. The tight castle section that claimed many red flags Then, the track winds down to its narrowest section at Icheri Sheher, or the castle section. It's incredibly narrow, leaving drivers little to no margin for error. It's where Robert Kubica crashed his car in the first session of the 2019 qualifying. Leclerc would then follow suit in Q2, forcing him to make the "I am stupid, I am stupid" message over the team radio. A street circuit that doesn't compromise racing We were treated to a snoozefest at the Madring a couple of weeks ago, but that won't happen here at Baku. It may have the narrow streets, barriers, and huge braking risks of a street track, but there are long straights and high-speed corners where drivers can slipstream and overtake. It does require a strategic car setup, so let's see which team gets it right.Sep 25, 2026

F1Roundtable

Max Verstappen on Red Bull's Baku Upgrades: "I'm Pretty Happy"

If you're Max Verstappen's opponent and you see him coming out of two practice sessions in good spirits, you should be feeling close to terrified right now. After Free Practice 1 and 2 at the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Verstappen was feeling positive, saying that their car's upgrades are "working well." He was "pretty happy" with the RB26, and emphasized that they could fight for at least a podium place on Saturday. Verstappen set the second-fastest lap in FP1, and then settled for third in FP2. Interestingly, he only trailed the Mercedes drivers through the first two practice sessions. It's a good indication of where Red Bull is at, especially in comparison to other frontrunners like McLaren and Ferrari. So, where exactly did Red Bull focus their upgrades for this race in the streets of Baku? Red Bull brought in five upgrades to Baku Red Bull delivered a package of four performance-related and one reliability-focused upgrade to boost Verstappen and Isack Hadjar's performance at Baku. Here's a quick list of their reported Baku upgrades: - Revised floor and diffuser geometries for local load (performance-related) - Revised split line to the floor for local load (performance-related) - Revised cooling louvres for reliability - Revised mirror geometry for flow conditioning (performance-related) - Revised halo fairing geometry for flow conditioning (performance-related) Even Hadjar, who is returning from a three-race injury layoff, had positive things to say about the RB26. Save for a gearbox issue that limited his runs on Thursday, Hadjar said that the car actually "feels stronger" than what he drove back in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache said that Verstappen and Hadjar reported "good feedback" about the RB26's balance and upgrades. We know it's just two practice sessions, but the signs point toward a good week for Verstappen, Hadjar, and company. Can Verstappen continue his podium streak? Verstappen has been on the podium in five of the last seven races (the two exceptions were DNFs). When the Dutchman crosses the finish line, he has placed at least P3 recently. And with the way he's liking the upgrades so far, Verstappen has every opportunity to get another podium finish. Plus, he'll be extra motivated to continue his strong form at Baku. He has won two of the last four races here, including last year when he dominated the whole weekend, qualifying for pole, leading every lap, setting the fastest lap, and winning the race.Sep 25, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Daily: Audi's 2027 Driver Pairing, Chadwick Makes History, and Aston Martin's Woes

1

Sep 25, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Azerbaijan GP: A Combined 45-Place Penalty For Aston Martin

1

Sep 25, 2026

F1Roundtable

F1 Stock Watch: Which Drivers Have the Most to Lose at the Azerbaijan GP?

1

Sep 24, 2026

F1Roundtable

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Reported F1 Upgrades for Every Team at Baku

1

Sep 24, 2026

F1Roundtable