WEEKEND WARM-UP: F1’s title battles heat up as the paddock touches down in the Land of Fire

There were talking points aplenty as the Formula 1 fraternity reconvened in Baku ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix – with F1 TV’s Weekend Warm-up crew on hand to run through them all.

In what is turning out to be an ultra-competitive season, Max Verstappen and Red Bull head into the final flyaway sequence with their championship leads having been eroded even further – Lando Norris and McLaren now just 62 and eight points behind respectively.

NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

As Red Bull struggle to get on top of their RB20 package, McLaren have made the call to back Norris in the quest for a title double – Oscar Piastri confirming on Thursday that he will be willing to “help out” if the circumstance arises over the remaining eight rounds.

But can Ferrari also throw a spanner in the works after bouncing back from recent issues of their own? Charles Leclerc has claimed pole on the last three visits to Baku’s streets and the Scuderia are only 31 points further back in the constructors’ battle.

Finally, it would not be a full weekend preview without talking about some seismic off-track news, following the announcement that legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey is to join Aston Martin as their new Managing Technical Partner when he leaves Red Bull.

Click on the video player above to join Laura Winter and Alex Brundle as they discuss these developments and preview the weekend’s action.