The pit straight is technically quite long because Turn 19, at the end of the lap, and Turn One are just slight kinks along a narrow straight. There used to be a chicane that brought you on to the pit straight but now, with that removed, drivers will be travelling at well over 200 mph to Turn Two. With DRS along this straight there will be opportunities to overtake and, because there’s a chicane at the end of it, you’ve got the option to go on the inside or outside to pull off a move. It’s important to get a good exit out of Turn Three because Turn Four is taken flat and you’ve got a long run to the next chicane.

This chicane will be super-fast in the current generation of F1 cars – even faster than the first chicane. The kerbs are relatively flat, which means you can be quite aggressive and as you come out of Turn Six you’ve got a short run to Turn Seven.

Turn Seven is a long, open hairpin that’s not too slow. The exit is crucial because it’s uphill and takes you all the way to a high-speed left-hander: you want to run out all the way to the right-hand side of the track to give you the best line through Turns Eight and Nine. 

Turn Eight can be taken flat out very easily. You come over a crest and must make sure you keep the car to the right-hand side of the track for the best approach to Turn Nine – the fastest, and probably most exciting, corner on the track. You brake very briefly for this corner, taking it in sixth gear and try to carry as much speed as you can while pulling 5 g. You have to be careful: there’s not much run-off area and therefore margin for error.

You fly down the hill from Turn Nine, flat out through Turn 10, to what is the most challenging part of the track. The entry to Turn 11 is very fast – you take it flat – and, as you go through the corner, you start to brake while trying to set the car up for Turn 12. This is tricky because you’re turning through T11, but you also want to try to brake in a straight line as much as possible for T12. The gradient change here only adds to the challenge, as you swoop downhill and then climb uphill from the apex of T12. You need to be mindful of Turn 13 too: it’s a small kink but it tightens your exit, which can make getting good traction for the run up the hill to Turn 14 far from straightforward.

This chicane is much tighter than the previous two and not quite as fast. You flick the car from right to left and take as much kerb as you dare to effectively straight-line the chicane and carry as much speed as possible. Being able to ride the kerbs through here is important but there’s a balance to be struck between setting the car up for this, without sacrificing too much performance in other parts of the track. The kerbs here are tough on the driver but also the car in terms of reliability. It’s about being fast, but it’s about survival too! 

The braking zone for Turn 17 is tricky because it’s a fast corner and you’re travelling downhill. Front locking is common here and it’s also a potential overtaking spot if you can stay close to the car ahead coming down the hill from Turn 15. Once again, the run-off area is minimal and Turn 18 is effectively the last corner. It’s quite deceiving: it looks like a straightforward, 90-degree left-hander, but you’ve got to get it absolutely right to maximise your speed down what is now a very long straight without the chicane that used to be at the end of the lap. 

This is a proper old-school circuit that’s as fun to drive as it is challenging. It’s very fast, very narrow and there are lots of gradient changes. With minimal run-off areas, this track punishes mistakes. Unlike most of the circuits we visit, this one is anti-clockwise which, coupled with the high speeds, means it’s going to be tough on the drivers’ necks. With just one practice session this weekend, drivers are going to have to learn the track quickly if they want to nail it in qualifying – it’s going to put them under even more pressure. And, for that reason, all the homework and preparation drivers and teams do before this weekend could really make the difference. They will want to arrive here with a strong baseline setup for the car that allows them to hit the ground running.