F1's Exciting Adventure In Azerbaijan: A First Or A Repeat?

Formula One motor racing has indeed taken place in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been held in Baku, the country's capital, since 2016, when it was known as the European Grand Prix. The race was renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the following year and has been held annually since, except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent race took place in September 2024, with Oscar Piastri taking the chequered flag.

The first Azerbaijan Grand Prix was held in 2017

Yes, Formula One has raced in Azerbaijan before. The first Azerbaijan Grand Prix was held in 2017, on 25 June, to be precise. This was the second time the Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, had hosted a Formula One race. The first was the year before, in 2016, when the race was called the European Grand Prix.

The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the first time the race had been held under that name. It was won by Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull, who started in tenth on the grid. Ricciardo's three-car pass into the first corner was judged the best overtake of the year. The race also featured several safety car periods and infamous crashes, including one between teammates. Valtteri Bottas overtook Lance Stroll on the finish line for second place, while Stroll took the first podium finish of his career.

The Baku City Circuit is a street circuit located right in the heart of the city, close to the main promenade on the Caspian Sea. At 6.003km, it is the third-longest on the current F1 calendar. The circuit features many long straights, which made it the fastest street circuit Formula One had raced on until the Jeddah Corniche Circuit joined the calendar in 2021. It also includes a very narrow section (turns 8 through 12) next to the old city walls.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been held annually since 2017, except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest Azerbaijan Grand Prix took place in 2023, and it became the first Grand Prix to implement a new format featuring a qualifying session called the "sprint shootout".

The Baku City Circuit is located in the heart of Baku

The Baku City Circuit hosted its first Formula One race in 2016, known as the European Grand Prix. In 2017, the circuit held the inaugural Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which has become a fixture on the Formula One calendar. The race typically takes place in June and is one of the most interesting additions to the Formula 1 calendar, offering a mixture of wide and open, and tight and twisty sections. The main straight along the Baku shoreline is a slipstreaming mecca, with cars able to run three abreast into Turn 1. From there, the track winds through the narrow, winding Icheri Sheher old town, past Baku's medieval city walls.

The Baku City Circuit is known for its long straights, making it one of the fastest street circuits in Formula One. It also includes a very narrow section next to the old city walls, providing a challenging mix of long straights and slow technical sections. The circuit's tight layout through urban parkland shares similarities with the Montjuïc circuit, which hosted the Spanish Grand Prix in the 1970s.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been the site of several memorable moments in Formula One. The 2017 race, for example, saw several safety car periods, infamous crashes, and a fine win by Daniel Ricciardo. The main talking point, however, was Sebastian Vettel's frustration under the Safety Car period, as he drove into the side of championship rival Lewis Hamilton.

The Baku City Circuit is located right in the heart of the city, offering spectators a unique experience as they find themselves in the middle of the action. While Baku has been one of the least-attended races on the F1 calendar due to the low number of grandstand seats and the high cost of tickets for local fans, attendance figures have been gradually increasing, with a record-breaking number of spectators reported in 2023.

The 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix introduced a new sprint shootout format

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a Formula One motor racing event held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The race takes place on the Baku City Circuit, a street circuit in the city centre. The first Azerbaijan Grand Prix was held in 2017, and the event has been a regular fixture on the Formula One calendar since then.

In 2023, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix introduced a new format called the "sprint shootout". This format was specifically adopted for Grands Prix that include an additional sprint race. The format consisted of a single practice session on Friday, followed by a qualifying session that determined the grid for the main race on Sunday. A new qualifying session, the "sprint shootout", was introduced on Saturday in place of the second practice session, determining the grid for the sprint race. This qualifying session was shorter than the traditional qualifying, with SQ1 lasting 12 minutes, SQ2 10 minutes, and SQ3 8 minutes. Additionally, new tyres were mandatory for each phase, with mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, and softs for SQ3.

The sprint race itself is a much shorter version of the grand prix, covering 100km of the circuit. The introduction of the sprint shootout format in the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the first time this format was used in Formula One. It is worth noting that the result of the sprint race does not affect the grid position for the main race on Sunday, ensuring that a bad result or crash during the sprint race won't impact the driver's starting position for the main event.

The new format has received mixed reactions and remains controversial. Some critics include reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who suggested that constant tweaks to the sprint format could lead him to quit the sport. Despite the criticism, Formula One organisers hope that dedicating an entire day to the sprint race will encourage more exciting races, as drivers will have more to fight for without compromising their position for the main event.

The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the best race of the season

The 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the first time the race was officially known as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, having been titled the European Grand Prix the previous year. It was also only the second time F1 had raced at the Baku City Circuit.

The race certainly delivered the drama, with several incidents that made it one of the most memorable of the season. One of the main talking points was Sebastian Vettel's infamous clash with Lewis Hamilton, which saw Vettel drive into the side of his championship rival under a Safety Car period. Vettel believed Hamilton had brake-checked him, but TV replays and car data showed that Hamilton had not applied his brakes. Vettel was given a ten-second stop/go penalty for dangerous driving, which ultimately cost him the race win.

The race also saw Valtteri Bottas suffer a puncture after a collision with Kimi Raikkonen, and penalties for Sergio Perez and Raikkonen for their cars being worked on outside of the fast lane under red flags. There were also mechanical retirements, overtakes, and multiple Safety Car periods.

In the end, it was Daniel Ricciardo who took a famous victory for Red Bull, with a spectacular three-car pass into the first corner, judged as the best overtake of the year. He recovered from a crash in qualifying to claim his first win of the season, with Bottas and Lance Stroll completing the podium.

With its high-octane drama, thrilling overtakes, and infamous crashes, the 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was undoubtedly one of the best races of the season and a fine advertisement for the Baku City Circuit.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been extended until at least 2026

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been a fixture on the Formula One calendar since 2016, when it was known as the European Grand Prix. The race was renamed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in 2017 and has been held annually since, except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event takes place on the Baku City Circuit, a street circuit in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

In April 2023, it was announced that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix would remain on the Formula 1 calendar until at least 2026, following a three-year contract extension. This means that the challenging and popular street circuit will continue to host the Grand Prix until at least the 2026 championship season.

The decision to extend the contract was welcomed by Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who described the Baku City Circuit as "hugely popular" among teams and drivers. He highlighted the circuit's ability to deliver "huge drama" and host some of the most exciting races in recent memory. The Azerbaijan Minister of Youth and Sports, Farid Gayibov, also praised the impact of the race on the local economy, noting the growing attendance numbers and the event's ability to inspire and excite fans in Azerbaijan and beyond.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has a history of providing thrilling races and memorable moments. The 2017 race, for example, featured several safety car periods and infamous crashes, including one between teammates. The 2018 and 2019 races delivered more drama, with unexpected wins and dramatic collisions. In 2021, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw a Mexican driver, a German driver, and a French driver share the podium positions for the first time in Formula 1.

The extension of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix until at least 2026 ensures that this exciting and challenging race will continue to be a part of the Formula 1 calendar for years to come, offering more opportunities for memorable moments and thrilling races.

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