Formula 1 has entered the second half of its 2024 Championship season. With Max Verstappen still ruling the drivers’s standings, the race is becoming more competitive. The battle for the title has led F1 teams to Baku City for the final race on the European mainland. With its inaugural race in 2016, the European Grand Prix, Baku Street Circuit is now ready to host its 7th edition of F1 racing (the 2020 season was canceled due to a COVID breakdown). Let us delve into the detailed history and stats of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. We will also resonate with the records made on the Baku Street Circuit and explore the Caspian Saga.
History of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Baku Street Circuit
Baku F1 Opening Ceremony (pic credit: Trends Baku)
Azerbaijan is a Soviet mainland positioned between Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. It is one of the largest cities along the Caspian Sea coast and the largest city in Azerbaijan. The Baku City hosted a Formula 1 race on the Baku Street Circuit on June 19, 2016. This inaugural Baku F1 race was known as the European Grand Prix, as it marked the return of the F1 race in Europe after 4 years of absence from the calendar. The first Azerbaijan Grand Prix was hosted in 2017 and has been hosting F1 races since its debut in 2016.
The reason for bringing the F1 race back to Europe was to replace the Korean Grand Prix after the 2015 season. Bernie Ecclestone, a commercial rights holder, stated that Formula 1 would be back to the European sub-continent as the Grand Prix of Europe, titled for the last time as the European Grand Prix. In 2017, the race was named the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. After the race commenced on the Baku Street Circuit, it became the second mainland of the Soviet Union to host any F1 races after the Russian Grand Prix.
Azerbaijan F1 (pic credit: SportingBet)
The Baku Street Circuit was designed by a legendary F1 track designer, Hermann Tilke. This street circuit was special in many ways than any other street circuit, as it was the only circuit that was constructed around a UNESCO World Heritage Site called the Walled City of Baku with Shrivanshah’s Palace and Maiden Tower. Baku Street Circuit offers a splendid level of high-speed straights, tight corners, and scoop elevation changes.
Stats Of The Baku Street Circuit: Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Baku Street Circuit (pic credit: News24)
The success of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix can be seen through its continuous hosting of Formula 1 races since its official debut. Fans around the world made it a perfect motorsport destination spot that preserves a large number of oil reserves around Baku City. This street is a narrow track that is situated on the main coast of the Caspian Sea. This track's geographical advancement parallel to the seacoast results in many long straights, making it one of the world's fastest street circuits.
The track also consists of a few narrow sections like that of Singapore and the iconic Monaco GP. The total length of the track is estimated to be about 6.003 km, making it the second-longest track on the current F1 grid. Let us unravel the amazing statistics of the Baku Street Circuit and explore the enigma of the Caspian saga with renowned walls of the Baku heritage sporting legacy.
Circuit Name | Baku Street Circuit |
Circuit Certification | FIA Grade 1 License |
Circuit Length | 6.003 KM |
Race Distance | 306.049 KM |
No. of Laps | 51 |
Turns | 20 |
First Grand Prix | 2016 (European Grand Prix) |
Last Grand Prix | 2023 |
Fastest Lap Record | 1:43.009 (Charles Leclerc, 2019) |
DRS Zones | 2 |
The Baku Street Circuit has 20 turns from the starting grid to the finish line. It includes 12 corners to the right and 8 corners to the left. The two DRS Zones are present in Sectors 1 and 3 after exiting a 2.2 km long straight. This long, straight pathway stretched along Neftchilar Avenue and simultaneously led to the main grandstand of Abshreron, where you can see cars going through 350 km/hr.
Records Made At The Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Sergio Perez (pic credit: Los Angeles Times)
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix remains one of the best grand prix in the Soviet-European region. In its debut season, a total of 300,000 spectators attended the racing event, and this number increased to 710,000 the following year in 2017. This 138% increase in figures shows how popular the Azerbaijan GP has become. With this, the track also resonates with some of the astonishing feats through its years.
Let us look at some of the memorable records that were made at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Most Grand Prix Wins: Sergio Perez with 2 wins (2021,2023)
Most Pole Position: Charles Leclerc with 3 consecutive wins (2021-2023)
Most Wins by Any Teams: Red Bull with 4 wins (2017, 2021-2023)
Most Wins by Constructors: Mercedes Petronas with 2 wins (2018-2019)
Azerbaijan Grand Prix pledged to remain on the F1 calendar until the 2026 F1 season.
Baku Track (pic credit: GP traveler)
Yes, you heard it right. The famous street circuit has extended its contract beyond the 2024 Formula 1 season. Initially, the contract between the Baku City Sports Authority and F1 had mutually ended in 2023. However, due to the COVID breakdown in 2020, the race was canceled that year and followed by a year-long expansion till 2024. Now the race authorities have signed a three-year contract deal, and your favorite track will remain on the F1 calendar until the end of the 2026 season.
