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Baku is preparing to host Formula 1 for the tenth time. Over the years, the Baku City Circuit has become a setting for records, surprise victories and dramatic finales, earning a reputation as one of the most unpredictable venues on the championship calendar. In 2026, there is another layer to the intrigue: championship leader Kimi Antonelli arrives in Baku with an 81-point advantage over his nearest rival.
The landmark race weekend will follow a revised schedule. Formula 1 action will get under way on Thursday, September 24, with qualifying on Friday and the main race on Saturday, September 26.
Designed by Hermann Tilke, the Baku circuit first welcomed Formula 1 in 2016. That year, the event was held as the European Grand Prix before becoming the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 2017 onwards. The only interruption came in 2020, when the race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To understand the character of the Baku circuit, it is enough to look at a single lap. The lap is 6.003 kilometres long, while drivers complete 51 laps during the race, covering just over 306 kilometres in total. The 20-corner circuit runs anti-clockwise.
One of its most recognisable sections runs alongside the walls of Icherisheher. At Turn 8, the track narrows to around 7.6 metres, leaving drivers virtually no room for error. Another distinctive feature comes right at the start: there are just 141 metres between pole position and the braking zone for Turn 1.
The Baku circuit also presents teams with a difficult compromise when it comes to car set-up. The narrow, slow sections around Icherisheher are followed by long, high-speed stretches, while the proximity of the walls raises the cost of any mistake.
Just how high the speeds can be in Baku was demonstrated by Valtteri Bottas in 2016. Driving for Williams, the Finnish driver reached around 378 km/h, a figure that remains among the highest speeds recorded by a Formula 1 car during a race weekend.
But the reputation of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is not built on the circuit layout alone. From the early years of the event, Baku has regularly provided moments that have influenced not only individual race results, but sometimes the wider championship picture too.
The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was named the best race of the season. Fans still remember the clash between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton behind the Safety Car. The race featured 42 overtakes in total, while Daniel Ricciardo took victory after starting from only 10th on the grid.
A year later, Red Bull team mates Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen found themselves at the centre of the action after colliding following a prolonged battle. Later in the race, race leader Valtteri Bottas hit debris and suffered a puncture, losing what had looked like a near-certain victory.
The 2021 race produced another dramatic finish. After Verstappen crashed, the race was stopped by red flags. At the restart, his main rival Hamilton made a mistake that ultimately left him without points.
In 2024, the battle for victory once again went almost all the way to the finish. Oscar Piastri held off Charles Leclerc after a tense fight to take the win, while Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz collided on the penultimate lap, bringing both their races to an early end.
Baku underlined its reputation again in 2025. Qualifying was interrupted by red flags six times, setting a Formula 1 record. The session lasted 1 hour and 58 minutes, ultimately running longer than the Baku race itself had the previous year.
These moments have become part of the history of the Baku circuit. Even starting from pole does not guarantee a straightforward race here. The long straight gives rivals opportunities to attack, while a Safety Car appearance can completely change the teams’ strategies.
Sergio Perez won in Baku in 2021 and 2023, becoming the first driver to claim two Azerbaijan Grand Prix victories. Max Verstappen then matched that record with wins in 2022 and 2025. As the tenth race approaches, both drivers have two victories to their name in Baku.
Charles Leclerc has his own special connection with the circuit. The Ferrari driver secured pole position in Baku for four consecutive years, from 2021 to 2024. Verstappen ended that run in 2025, but Leclerc remains the record-holder for the most poles at the Baku round. He also holds the lap record, a 1:43.009 set in 2019. Yet none of his four poles has so far resulted in victory. His record is another reminder of just how unpredictable a race in Baku can be.
In 2026, the spotlight will fall on a different driver. Kimi Antonelli arrives in Baku as championship leader after winning the previous round in Madrid. The Italian has won eight of the first 14 races of the season and, with nine rounds remaining, holds an 81-point advantage over his Mercedes team mate George Russell.
Baku is by no means an unfamiliar circuit for Antonelli. In 2025, the Italian qualified fourth and finished the race in the same position. This time, he returns to Azerbaijan as the championship leader.
There will also be plenty of attention on drivers who have already tasted success in Baku. Verstappen will be looking to become the first three-time winner of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while Leclerc will once again be chasing pole and hoping to finally turn a front-row start into victory at the Baku City Circuit.
The landmark weekend will also feature an unusual Formula 2 format. With F2 the only support series for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, its programme has been expanded for the Baku round. Thursday will feature Free Practice followed by two qualifying sessions, while Friday will bring the Sprint and the first Feature Race. The second Feature Race will take place on Saturday. This format will be used only in Baku, before Formula 2 returns to its usual schedule.
The tenth race marks another significant milestone in Formula 1’s history in Azerbaijan. In a decade, the event has gone from its debut as the 2016 European Grand Prix to becoming a permanent fixture on the championship calendar.
Across the previous nine races, Baku has repeatedly shown how quickly the balance of power can change. Narrow streets, long straights, walls close to the racing line and very little room for error keep the tension alive until the final laps. Now, the tenth race at the Baku City Circuit is ready to add another chapter to that story.
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