Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026

Baku

When was the track built?

Baku is a temporary street circuit, laid out on the public roads of the Azerbaijani capital and assembled anew each year rather than built once. The route was designed in the mid-2010s to run along the Caspian waterfront and up through the medieval old town, with the first cars running in 2016. Beyond the permanent pit and paddock facilities, most of what you see is barriers, fencing and grandstands that go up in the weeks before the race and come down afterwards.

When was its first Grand Prix?

The circuit’s first Formula 1 event was the European Grand Prix in 2016, an oddity of a title for a race held in Azerbaijan. From 2017 it was renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and has held that name since. It established a reputation almost immediately for chaos, with a run of races decided by late safety cars, contact between teammates and debris on a very long straight. Few venues have built a personality that quickly.

What’s the circuit like?

A circuit of two halves. The run from the final corner past the pits is one of the longest full-throttle stretches in the sport, which pushes teams towards skinny wings. Then comes the old town, a claustrophobic uphill section barely wider than a car and a half, where you want all the downforce you just gave away. That tension defines the weekend. Braking is heavy into the tight left at Turn 1 and at the end of the straight, tyres are lightly loaded but sensitive to graining on cold, low-grip asphalt. Overtaking is real and often dramatic, mostly at the end of the long straight.

Why go?

Baku is one of the more unusual trips on the calendar, an oil-boom capital of glass towers wrapped around a walled old city, with a long waterfront promenade to walk between sessions. Late September is comfortable, warm days and a breeze off the Caspian. The circuit runs through the heart of the city, so you are never far from a restaurant or a bar, and the race weekend has a relaxed, uncrowded feel compared with the European rounds. Getting there takes effort, which is part of the appeal.

Where is the best place to watch?

The grandstands overlooking the castle section give you the tightest, most nerve-wracking corners on the calendar and cars at walking pace between walls. Stands near Turn 1 catch the heavy braking at the end of the long straight, where most passes and most incidents happen. The main straight seating puts you level with the pit lane and the run to the flag. The waterfront stands offer a fast, flowing sequence and the best weather. If you can move, do a lap of the venue across the weekend.