Hulkenberg: Still lots of potential to unlock at Renault

Nico Hulkenberg heads to Baku after resuming his points-scoring ways with a composed drive in Montreal, and he now aims for more of the same at F1's fastest street circuit.

The venue in Azerbaijan actually presents a somewhat similar profile to Canada, with some long straights ended off by hard braking zones.

Renault will therefore take its lessons learned in North America to the low-lying city on the Caspian Sea.

"The team did a decent job in Canada and that has been rewarded," Hulkenberg says.

"We are making good progress. We have a lot of potential with the car which we need to discover. It is very encouraging and I am looking forward to getting out to Baku.

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"It is still a new venue to Formula 1 which is exciting, we are still getting used to it. Going through the old town is cool with the narrow walls, but it takes time to learn the track.

"I am usually good at adapting quickly and learning new tracks and new lines. It is exotic and a bit different here.

"There are some cool looking, vintage houses around. The old castle brick wall has a blind entry which is unique, Monaco is spacious in comparison!"

As interesting as its environment may appear, Baku is a tricky circuit to navigate according to the 2015 Le Mans winner.

"There are some walls waiting for you so it is important to be quite brave. The viewing is good for fans and the speed is cool to watch.

"It is the fastest street circuit on the calendar. Overtaking will be possible with the long, DRS straights.

"There are a lot of tight, 90-degree turns matched with flat-out kinks, so I am looking forward to racing it. The castle complex of turns 8 to 10 will be especially close with the wider cars.

"It was obviously unfamiliar surroundings last year as we were all new to the track. But I had a positive weekend, qualifying in twelfth place before making up a couple of places in the race to come home in ninth with two points.

"I remember the first practice session last year and really enjoying the track as it was different and had a bit of everything.

Gallery: All the pictures from Montreal

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.