What to expect in Azerbaijan: Ferrari to fly on flat-out sections, a fine showing from Force India

Team to watch: Ferrari

• The new turbo Ferrari introduced in Canada brought the red cars right on the tail of the flying Mercedes. For the first time since Australia they looked like serious contenders for victory in a race against the silver cars.

• Baku has one long flat-out section so expect Ferrari to try and make full use of their new-found strength.

• Sebastian Vettel came close to splitting the two Mercedes drivers in qualifying and even though he fell short he made another spectacular start to launch past the pair of them. Can he do it again?

• Kimi Raikkonen's search for form continues. He was well off Vettel's pace in Canada and crashed out early in Monaco. The world champion is out of contract at the end of the season and his F1 future could be in jeopardy if he does not raise his game.

Also on the radar: Force India

• The revisions Force India introduced to its VJM09 in Spain have begun to pay off. Both the team's drivers seem happy with the car, usually qualifying close on the grid as they did in Canada.

• Sergio Perez is especially encouraged that he has been able to score points in the last four races which were all on very different tracks. That included an excellent podium on the streets of Monaco.

• At this weekend's street race the long straights will suit the Mercedes-engined Force India chassis. However, tyre warm-up could be a problem, particularly for Perez, who tends to be very light on his rubber.

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