Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026
Chaos at the Caspian. The Baku City Circuit combines a 2.2 km flat-out blast along the seafront with an impossibly narrow medieval castle section barely wide enough for two cars — and it produces some of the most dramatic racing of the entire season.
Circuit Facts
Baku City Circuit
Baku, Azerbaijan
20
2
7.6 m (Castle walls)
Temporary Street Circuit
About Baku City Circuit
The Baku City Circuit is one of the most extraordinary venues in Formula 1 — a 6.003 km street circuit that winds through the historic centre of the Azerbaijani capital, past medieval city walls and Ottoman fortifications, before emerging onto a 2.2 kilometre flat-out blast along the Caspian Sea seafront. It is one of the longest circuits on the calendar and, thanks to that enormous straight, one of the fastest. Cars regularly exceed 350 km/h before the first braking point, with energy recovery systems working overtime on the power unit.
The circuit first hosted Formula 1 in 2017 under the name the European Grand Prix, becoming the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the following year. In the short time it has been on the calendar, it has produced a remarkable catalogue of memorable moments: crashes, collisions, safety cars, punctures, last-lap drama, and results that nobody predicted. If you are going to watch one race to show a newcomer just how unpredictable Formula 1 can be, Baku is the answer.
The track's unique character comes from the violent contrast between its two sections. The castle section — turns 3 through 8 — threads through ancient alleyways barely 7.6 metres wide with bare stone walls inches from the car at each side. Cars slow to barely 60 km/h in the tightest sections. Then, just moments later, they are accelerating in a straight line for over a kilometre at close to 350 km/h. No other circuit on earth contains those extremes within the same lap.
Key Corners
Baku's corners span the full spectrum from barely-moving hairpins to flat-out high-speed complexes — all on temporary asphalt laid over public roads.
Turn 1 — Right-Angle Left
A tight left-hander at the end of the main straight where the race so often begins in chaos. Cars arrive at racing speed and must slow dramatically. First-corner incidents at Baku have already become a regular feature of the race, with the wall close and the track narrow.
Turns 3–8 — Castle Section
The defining feature of Baku. The circuit threads through the walls of the ancient Icherisheher (Old City) in a passage so tight that two cars barely fit side by side. Any mistake here ends the race instantly — the stone walls offer no run-off whatsoever. Qualifying through this section requires absolute precision.
Turn 15 — Hairpin Before the Straight
The crucial hairpin that feeds cars onto the 2.2 km main straight. Getting a perfect exit here is everything — a clean run onto the straight allows drivers to pick up the slipstream and mount an overtaking attempt at Turn 1. The slight uphill approach makes braking particularly tricky.
Turns 19–20 — Castle Wall Exit
Another terrifyingly narrow section where the circuit passes through the fortified walls of the old city with barely a car's width of space on each side. Marble kerbs, bumpy surfaces, and walls that punish the slightest error make this one of the most demanding passages of road in all of motorsport.
Race Atmosphere
Baku has earned its reputation as the most chaotic race on the Formula 1 calendar, and that unpredictability is precisely what makes it so compelling to watch. The narrow walls, the bumpy surface, the long straight creating slipstream battles, and the almost-guaranteed safety car appearance all combine to produce races that keep spectators on the edge of their seats from lights out to chequered flag. The 2021 race saw Verstappen suffer a dramatic tyre failure while leading with just a few laps remaining, handing the lead to Hamilton only for him to accidentally press his brake magic switch at the restart and drive straight on at Turn 1. Utterly bizarre, and utterly Baku.
The city setting is spectacular — the circuit runs along the Caspian seafront with the Old City's towers and minarets visible in the background before plunging into the medieval alleyways. Grandstands along the seafront section offer superb views of the DRS straight, while fans in the castle section experience the cars at genuinely close quarters in a way unlike anywhere else on the calendar. Azerbaijan has invested heavily in the race and the paddock facilities are among the best on the entire circuit.
Tyre Strategy
Baku is a low-degradation circuit in normal conditions — the long straight generates very little lateral tyre wear, and the circuit surface is relatively smooth. Pirelli usually nominates Medium and Hard compounds as the primary race tyres, with teams typically planning a one-stop strategy.
However, the almost guaranteed appearance of a safety car or virtual safety car means tyre strategy at Baku is rarely completed as planned. The long straight creates an enormous opportunity for tyre conservation behind the safety car, and savvy teams will time their pit stop to coincide with a neutralisation period. The Soft compound is used aggressively in qualifying — particularly around the castle section where maximum mechanical grip is essential — but is rarely the preferred choice for race stints. Tyre punctures, particularly on the main straight, have caused dramatic late-race incidents and remain a risk that teams factor into their strategy planning.
How to Watch the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sky Sports F1
Every session live — practice, qualifying, and race. Available on Sky and via NOW TV streaming.
Channel 4
Free-to-air highlights of qualifying and the race. Available on Channel 4 and All 4 on-demand.
F1 TV Pro / NOW TV
F1 TV Pro offers live streaming worldwide. NOW TV provides Sky Sports access without a contract.
13:00 BST (approx.)
Baku is UTC+4, making the race a convenient lunchtime start for UK viewers.
Visit our TV schedule page for confirmed session times and broadcast details for the 2026 season.
Previous Winners in Baku
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2024 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing |
| 2023 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing |
| 2022 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing |
| 2021 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing |