Formula 1 returns for the fourth instalment of the 2018 season at a race that has been eagerly awaited since they left last June, the Azerbaijan GP this Sunday.

Initially derided as the epitome of the corporate greed by former CEO Bernie Ecclestone when it debuted on the calendar as the European GP in 2016, the street race in Baku wasn't helped by a lacklustre inauguration.

12 months later though and the whole image of the event changed with what was widely considered the best race of the season, full of drama, action and Daniel Ricciardo claiming a surprise win.

This year Azerbaijan is back a little earlier than before and the expectation is for another unpredictable rollercoaster ride.

It's rare that a race that few even wanted has become so popular just because of one crazy weekend, but beyond the lack of history and extortionate fee for hosting, Baku does have plenty to offer.

The street circuit has everything from the narrowest section of any track past the famous castle at just seven metres wide to the longest flat-out stretch with a 2.2-kilometre run from Turn 16 to Turn 1.

As a result, Baku is one of the fastest city tracks in motorsport with top speeds well in excess of 210mph, with many describing it as a combination of Monaco and Monza.

With the lack of space, Safety Cars are almost guaranteed should someone hit the barriers and we've already seen what impact they have had on results so far this year, including two weeks ago in China.

With an emphasis on power over downforce, Mercedes has run riot over a single lap the past two years, but this season Ferrari have matched them on the straights and Red Bull were very strong a year ago by running less wing.

Another key change for this year is a more aggressive tyre allocation from Pirelli with the Ultrasoft, Supersoft and Soft being used.

That means the compounds are much softer compared to 2017 and could well also hamper Mercedes, who continue to struggle on the higher degradation rubber.

With their better-rounded car at this stage then, Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel have to start the weekend as favourites, particularly given the similarities to Bahrain where the German was also very strong.

The question will be whether Red Bull are able to negate the power deficit down the straight and create the three-way battle for pole as their race pace should still be very competitive.

Max Verstappen also enters the weekend under pressure to perform in the wake of scepticism aimed his way after collisions with Lewis Hamilton and Vettel at the past two events.

Delving into the midfield, Azerbaijan is one of those races where any team will feel points are possible.

Indeed, it was the only race last year where a non-Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull driver stood on the podium thanks to Lance Stroll's mature drive for Williams to third.

Renault-powered cars didn't enjoy Baku though, with failures for Max Verstappen, Daniil Kvyat and Jolyon Palmer during the race.

This then will be a test then of their progress on reliability, especially with Renault and McLaren likely to be leading the way.

Haas also had a terrible weekend 10 months ago with Romain Grosjean admitting he was "scared" due to the brake problems the American team faced.

Solving that weakness has been crucial to their form so far and should it remain to be a non-issue, Grosjean and teammate Kevin Magnussen will very much be in the fight for 'best of the rest'.

The unknown quantity will be Toro Rosso who have only had the standout result for Pierre Gasly in Bahrain to speak of.

However, given the comparisons, it is possible the junior Red Bull team could surprise again.

Traditionally, low downforce circuits have also suited Williams but with their change in design philosophy and ongoing problems, another tough weekend could be in store.

Particularly as their back-of-the-grid rivals Sauber also enjoyed a competitive race in Bahrain and could use their Ferrari engine to feature further up the grid in Baku.

All of this is purely hypothetical, however, because quite literally anything could happen on the streets of Azerbaijan's capital and once again prove that, after its initial unwelcome arrival, it is fully deserving of its place on the schedule.

Also, from this weekend GiveMeSport has joined in new F1 Fantasy game on the official F1 website.

This is your chance to test your predictive skills by choosing five drivers and one team you think will get the best result with a limited budget of $100m.

Why not get involved and join our special league (code: b5831b) and compare your points tally to the writers here!

A small tip from this writer, choose your midfield drivers carefully with consistency likely to reap the most points over outright results and good luck!