Formula 1 teams are working without their usual weather radar system at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, because of a political dispute between the Azeri and French governments.
Autosport understands that due to French nationals, including dual citizens, being advised not to travel to Azerbaijan in a travel warning issued by France’s Foreign Ministry last week, representatives from the Meteo-France organisation that implements F1’s official weather radar system have not travelled to this weekend’s Baku event.
Meteo-France is the official French meteorological administration and therefore must comply with the travel advice issued by the government.
The Meteo-France representatives not being in Baku means F1 is operating without the radar system that is usually deployed at the highest point of any circuit location to pinpoint weather systems traversing the areas and their surrounds.
But much of the additional kit that Meteo-France uses has been deployed on its behalf by the FIA – including devices to measure wind speed and ambient temperature at various points on the circuit.
However, instead of the usual four weather stations monitoring each track, this weekend there is only one, which is positioned in the pitlane.
The Meteo-France staff that have not been able to travel are also supporting the race remotely – with the usual level of communication to race control maintained – and they are still providing regular forecasts via public information systems.
The F1 teams can choose to deploy their own versions of the weather station measuring devices in the pitlane and without the usual Meteo-France radar system in place, it is understood that they will rely on commercially available alternatives that they also check on at most races in any case.
The teams have therefore adapted with minimal disruption to the running of the Baku event.
The dispute between Azerbaijan and France centres on tensions around the various interests in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and the arrest of a French citizen last December, who was charged with espionage.
Autosport also understands that French citizens from several F1 teams have also chosen not to attend this weekend’s event as a result of the situation.
The Alpine squad, however, is understood not to be amongst these and has travelled according with its planned staff group for this event.
Autosport understands that the FIA is fully satisfied with the level of service it is still receiving from Meteo-France this weekend.
The start of FP3 on Saturday featured little running due to minor rain shower lightly drizzling down on the paddock.
