What to know ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Formula 1 moves on to Baku for circular 17 -- the eighth contention successful Azerbaijan's superior city.

Championship person Oscar Piastri won present past year, but it's Charles Leclerc who is the qualifying king of the castle circuit, with 4 erstwhile rod positions. However, helium has not yet converted it into a contention victory.

Plus, tin McLaren wrapper up the constructors' title connected Sunday?

Here's what's coming up this weekend...

Weather forecast - mixed

Friday is acceptable to beryllium blistery and sunny with highest temperatures of 25°C (77°F). Cloud comes successful connected Saturday and Sunday bringing with it somewhat cooler temperatures of 20-21°C (68-69°F).

There is simply a accidental of airy rainfall connected Saturday and Sunday.

Jump to: Circuit past & stats | Race predictions | How to watch | Championship standings

This week's must-read

TEAM ORDERS: That was the talking constituent aft the contention 2 weeks ago. We whitethorn oregon whitethorn not spot much papaya squad orders arsenic the conflict intensifies. Here's a breakdown of however these swaps person played retired up to now.

SILVERSTONE SPRINT: F1 has announced six sprint races for 2026, including caller locations. Find retired the afloat database and 2026 calendar.

TWO-WHEEL RACING: Guenther Steiner is backmost astatine the top, but not successful F1. He is portion of a radical purchasing a MotoGP team, and he told ESPN each astir it.

PAPAYA PERMUTATIONS: When volition McLaren clinch the constructors' championship? Having secured its archetypal squad rubric successful 26 years successful 2024, McLaren is connected people to clasp the crown successful grounds time, with respective races inactive to go, and it could hap this weekend. This is what they request to do.

UNLAPPED: For much investigation perceive to the latest occurrence of ESPN's F1 podcast Unlapped with F1 writers Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson.

Circuit stats and history

Despite thoroughfare circuits becoming progressively fashionable successful Formula 1, Baku remains a standout lawsuit connected the calendar. It is the lone F1 way to skirt astir a UNESCO satellite practice site, with the conception astir Turns 8, 9 and 10 lined by the walls of the city's charming aged town.

When the circuit archetypal joined the calendar successful 2016 (as the past variation of the European Grand Prix), contention organisers tarmacked implicit cobbled streets with the volition of lifting the impermanent asphalt each year, but yet decided to permission the way aboveground successful place.

The agelong pit straight, which includes the high-speed kinks of Turns 18, 19 and 20, sees cars scope speeds successful excess of 220 mph and invites overtaking astatine Turn 1. Races person a inclination to beryllium either utterly chaotic oregon somewhat routine, but with the walls truthful adjacent and the speeds truthful high, a race-defining information car is lone ever 1 tiny mistake away.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Circuit: Baku City Circuit; Baku, Azerbaijan

First F1 race: 2016 European GP. (First contention arsenic Azerbaijan GP successful 2017)

Laps: 51 laps of 6km.

Lap record: 1:43.009, Charles Leclerc (2019)

Most wins: Sergio Pérez with 2 (2021, 2023).

Other winners from the existent grid:

- Lewis Hamilton (2018)
- Max Verstappen (2022)
- Piastri (2024)

Most poles: Leclerc with 4 (2021-2024). Hamilton (2017) is the lone different rod sitter from the existent grid.

What makes it special: While the scenery of the F1 calendar has grown ever much awesome successful the past decade, obscurity other successful the satellite bash these ca...