Baku City Circuit is a 6.003 km (3.730 miles) street circuit winding through the Azerbaijani capital along the Caspian Sea waterfront. Its 20 corners span a 51-lap race distance of 306.049 km. The circuit joined F1 in 2016 and includes the longest straight on the calendar at over 2.2 km, where cars reach 370 km/h. Charles Leclerc holds the lap record at 1:43.009, set in 2019.
The layout creates the most dramatic speed differential of any circuit. The castle section through Turns 7 and 8 is so narrow that two cars cannot pass side by side, forcing drivers to commit fully to any overtaking move before they arrive. The track then opens onto the 2.2 km waterfront blast, the longest flat-out section in F1, where two DRS zones produce side-by-side racing at extraordinary speeds. Turn 1 is a tight 90-degree left-hander with a heavy braking zone, the main passing point on the lap. Turn 15 provides another overtaking opportunity before the run to the main straight.
Baku has produced some of the most unpredictable races in recent memory. On 25 June 2017, the race featured a red flag, a safety car restart clash between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, and Daniel Ricciardo winning from midfield. On 6 June 2021, Max Verstappen suffered a tyre failure while leading on the final laps, and Lewis Hamilton’s restart error let Sergio Perez take victory. On 12 June 2022, Verstappen won after both Ferraris retired with reliability failures. Drama is not an occasional feature of Baku; it is the baseline expectation.
The timezone is Asia/Baku at AZT (UTC+4). A 14:00 local start is 10:00 GMT and 06:00 EDT. European fans get a late-morning race, while early risers on the US East Coast can catch it before breakfast. Asian viewers get an evening slot at 18:00 CST and 19:00 JST. Check Azerbaijan time and Baku time for conversions.
September in Baku is warm and dry, with temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius and a breeze off the Caspian Sea. The city skyline, mixing medieval architecture with modern glass towers, provides one of the most visually striking backdrops in Formula 1. Baku’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the waterfront promenade are within walking distance of the circuit, making it an appealing destination for travelling fans.
See the full race schedule and session times at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix page.