THE
CIRCUIT
Nowhere else on the F1 calendar can boast a track that butts up (literally) to UNESCO protected medieval walls as the drivers navigate the challenging streets of this intriguing city circuit. Here, the slightest mistakes are punished quickly.
What’s the circuit like?
A mixture of wide and open and tight and twisty. The lonnnnng main straight along the Baku shoreline is a slipstreaming mecca, with cars able to run three abreast into Turn 1. However from there, the track loops around into the city’s narrow, winding Icheri Sheher old town, dramatically wending past Baku’s medieval city walls. As in Monaco, the slightest mistakes are punished quickly and severely, while set-up wise, the teams are forced to choose between downforce for the twisty bits and less drag for the straight.
When was the track built?
It wasn’t – Baku is among the newer street circuits on the Formula 1 calendar, joining the likes of Monaco, Melbourne, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas.
When was its first Grand Prix?
The first Grand Prix in Baku was held in 2016, as the European Grand Prix. That was followed by the inaugural Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2017, which witnessed one of the biggest upsets of the season, with Daniel Ricciardo winning out from Valtteri Bottas and the Williams of Lance Stroll, while Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel engaged in some argy-bargy behind the Safety Car.
SAFETY CAR
PROBABILITY:
VSC
PROBABILITY:
Trivia
At its narrowest point (the Turn 8/9 ‘Old Town’ complex), the circuit is just 7.6 metres wide
FIRST GRAND PRIX:
2017
2016 as the European Grand Prix
TRACK LENGTH:
6.003km
LAP RECORD:
1:43.009
Charles Leclerc (2019)
Previous winners
2024 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2023 Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
2022 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2021 Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
2019 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Previous polesitters
2024 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2023 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2022 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2021 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
2019 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
PIT STOP
TIME LOSS
19.7 S
(Including 2.5s stationary)
OVERTAKES COMPLETED IN 2024:
66
POLE RUN TO TURN 1 BRAKING POINT:
The Driver's Verdict
Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault F1 driver
A long lap – there’s so much to put together in Baku, with lengthy straights and big braking zones in the first sector, before a winding second sector and a tough third sector.
Braking for Turn 1 is tricky; the corner comes quickly after the start-finish line, but it somehow seems to take such a long time to get there from the final turn. With some slipstream, whether you luck into it or orchestrate it, you can gain a huge amount of time.
That’s something to watch for in Qualifying, but out-laps are also important; the track surface isn’t so abrasive, so with a slow out-lap you could fail to warm up the tyres and lock up into Turn 1.
The notorious castle section in the middle of the track is narrow and a place where accidents can easily happen, but the trickiest corner is probably Turn 15, where you’re accelerating towards the end of the lap.
Turn 15 is an unsighted left-hander in which you’re braking slightly to the right, then you’ve got to slow it down and not get into the run-off area, and avoid the looming walls in the process.
It’s all about the braking and, like at any street circuit, there’s plenty of time to be gained if you can carry sufficient speed out of the apex – just don’t get greedy with the apex and clout the wall.
Current Form
What can be expected going into the Grand Prix weekend?
For the first time since the Austrian Grand Prix back in June, championship leaders McLaren are heading into a weekend aiming to return to winning ways – following on from Max Verstappen and the resurgent Red Bull's impressive triumph at Monza last time out.
Might we see another head-to-head between the Dutchman and the papaya cars at the Baku City Circuit? Can Charles Leclerc give Ferrari something to celebrate by making it five straight poles on Azerbaijan’s streets? And what about Mercedes’ chances of getting back in the mix?
Given the unique demands of this track, and the fine margins at play so far this season, it will be a fascinating three days of action as those questions are answered.
That said, McLaren have their first chance to wrap up the 2025 Teams’ Championship in ‘the land of fire’, given the huge points advantage the squad boast over nearest rivals Ferrari.
Behind the top-four group, F1’s midfield fight remains as close as ever, highlighted by just 42 points covering Williams in fifth, Aston Martin in sixth, Racing Bulls in seventh, Kick Sauber in eighth and Haas in ninth.
With so much drama unfolding in Baku over the years, the weekend could present a golden opportunity for one of those outfits – and even Alpine, who have been cut adrift in 10th – to get their hands on a big haul of points.
Iconic Moment
Ricciardo's Baku triple-overtake
Azerbaijan has played host to some action-packed, drama-filled races since the country arrived on the F1 calendar nine years ago, with the high-speed Baku venue and its fearsome concrete walls catching out plenty of drivers.
But one moment that remains in the memory for another reason is Daniel Ricciardo’s incredible overtaking display during the 2017 encounter, the highlight of which was a three-car pass down the main straight and into Turn 1.
Running behind Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg and the Williams cars of Felipe Massa and Lance Stroll, the Australian used the slipstream to perfection before slamming on the brakes at the last moment and somehow keeping it out of the wall.
