This year marks the 10th anniversary of Formula 1’s spell in Azerbaijan, with the event having first been held under the European Grand Prix guise in 2016, the same season in which TGR Haas F1 Team joined the championship. In a city where east meets west, adjacent to the low-lying Caspian Sea, the Baku City Circuit has been a popular venue since its inclusion on the schedule, and this year marks the start of the first triple-header of the campaign.
The Baku City Circuit is among the longest on the calendar and takes drivers on a 3.7-mile journey through the heart of Azerbaijan’s capital, which blends the modern with the historic. Long straights are interspersed with heavy braking zones and blind 90-degree bends through the opening sector of the lap, before the tightest segment of any circuit on the calendar, which is the left-hand flick of turn 8. Drivers skirt perilously close to the stones of the fortifications of Baku’s Old City through an uphill section of track that is a mere 7.6 meters wide at its narrowest point. That opens up into a high-speed blast around wide streets, leading drivers onto the full-throttle Neftchiler Avenue, which runs alongside Baku Boulevard, where side-by-side racing is commonplace.
In order to accommodate Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day celebrations, this year’s grand prix will be shifted to Saturday, for the first time in the event’s history. As a consequence, practice will take place on Thursday, with qualifying scheduled for Friday.
LAST TIME OUT
Both drivers surged up the grid from their starting positions in 2025, with Ollie Bearman reaching 12th place, while Esteban Ocon finished in 14th.
Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal:
“I felt we had a strong weekend as a team last time out in Madrid. Although we were ultimately disappointed not to score points on Sunday, our race pace was strong, which was a significant improvement from Monza. This shows that the team is learning very fast to get the best out of the latest package, which really did produce performance in the areas required. Now, we're heading to the Baku Street circuit for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which has a unique history and atmosphere, and it’s always a race weekend everyone looks forward to. This challenging street circuit has long straights and very tight sections through the old city, so it’s a challenge for engineers to get the car set-up right. We aim to build on our progress from Monza and Madrid to really unlock the potential of the package at this circuit where you know anything can happen. For us, it’s about building up cleanly through practice, giving the drivers confidence in the car and making sure we’re ready to take any opportunities that come our way.”
Ollie Bearman:
“The Baku City Circuit is one of the most fun tracks of the year once you get into the groove with the long straight and the twisty section around the old town, you feel like you’ve had a tour of the city over a lap. This weekend I’m looking for a solid weekend without issues. The update brought to Monza is definitely showing that we’re now capable of pushing harder, so I want to demonstrate what we’re capable of – it’s important that we start this triple-header on the right note.”
Esteban Ocon:
“We’re on an encouraging streak of races currently, where we’re working well, the car is consistent, and the update is doing its job. As we enter this next triple-header, it’s key to prepare well, rest and maintain the right mindset, and that applies to everyone in the team. It’s actually a great opportunity to be together for three weeks, as you really get into a rhythm of things, and we all understand each other so well by this point in the season. Baku is another great circuit, an exciting yet challenging lap where, a bit like Madrid, you need to build up through the sessions, as mistakes are costly – I’m looking forward to getting started.”
