Baku City Circuit has gained a reputation for producing unpredictable and action-packed races since joining the calendar in 2016. The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is set to take place on September 21.
1142nd F1 GRAND PRIX | 8th AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX | 9th F1 GRAND PRIX AT BAKU CITY CIRCUIT
2024 POLESITTER: CHARLES LECLERC | 2024 WINNER: OSCAR PIASTRI
2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday September 19
Free Practice 1 – 12:30pm Local Time/ 9:30am UK Time
Free Practice 2 – 4:00pm Local Time/ 1:00pm UK Time
Saturday September 20
Free Practice 3 – 12:30pm Local Time/ 9:30am UK Time
Qualifying – 4:00pm Local Time/ 1:00pm UK Time
Sunday September 21
The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – 3:00pm Local Time/ 12:00pm UK Time
2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
Sergio Perez is the only repeat winner at Baku City Circuit. Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri have the opportunity to become the second repeat winner at the track in the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, while anyone else winning would become the eighth different winner in the nine Baku races to date.
Red Bull have the most wins in Azerbaijan, with four. They could extend their record to five wins at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, or Mercedes could equal their existing record.
Mercedes lead the way for most podiums in Baku, with seven. Their record could be equalled or overtaken by Red Bull this weekend, who currently have six podiums here. Ferrari – currently on five top three finishes – could also equal Mercedes’ current record.
No driver has taken more than one fastest lap at Baku City Circuit. Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, George Russell or Lando Norris could become the first driver to record multiple fastest laps here in the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
Changes to the circuit since last year’s race will be posted here.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX?
It’s yet to be announced how many DRS zones there will be at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Last year, there were two DRS zones. The activation zones are located after Turn 2 and on the main straight after Turn 20. In 2024, the DRS zone on the main straight was 100 metres longer than in 2023.
BAKU CITY CIRCUIT TRACK GUIDE
The oil-rich country of Azerbaijan became the newest fixture on the F1 calendar in 2016. The Baku City circuit, the second longest track of the season, combines twisting sections reminiscent of Monaco with flat-out straights like those at Monza.
Baku itself is no stranger to motorsport, with the Baku World Challenge having been held on a street circuit between 2012 and 2014. Azerbaijan wanted a prestigious event to add to its list of honours, and followed in the footsteps of similarly oil-rich countries Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, and enticed Formula 1 to the area.
In December 2013, Bernie Ecclestone announced that a deal had been signed for F1 to visit the country for the first time, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to be added to the Formula 1 calendar from 2015 onwards. Ecclestone then suggested that the event would replace the Korean Grand Prix, with the organisers of that event being in breach of their contract. In July 2014, it was announced that the Baku race would in fact début in 2016.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers ahead of the on-track action. The drivers appearing in the press conference for this race are yet to be announced.
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams in a separate press conference over the race weekend. The team members appearing in the press conference are yet to be announced.
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX?
Rui Marques will be the race director at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is yet to be announced.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2025 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX?
Pirelli have not yet announced which tyre compounds will be used at the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The C3, C4 and C5 compounds were used in 2024.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX?
Piastri took the win in a close-fought 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which saw Perez and Sainz crash in the closing stages while Norris completed a comeback drive.
With Kevin Magnussen receiving a one-race ban after reaching the limit of 12 penalty points, Ollie Bearman stood in for the Dane at Haas for the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend. Bearman was one of a number of drivers to crash in Baku during practice, with no fewer than five red flags across the three practice sessions. Charles Leclerc and Franco Colapinto were the others to crash, while breakdowns for Alpine brought about more stoppages.
While Lando Norris was a shock elimination in Q1, with a yellow flag preventing him from setting a faster time, both Williams drivers impressed with Colapinto and Alex Albon reaching Q3 – even if Albon was unable to set a final lap time as a result of a cooling fan being attached to his car when he left the pit lane.
Having won the previous round, Charles Leclerc secured pole position in Baku for the fourth season in a row, while Oscar Piastri secured a front row start. Leclerc stayed ahead at the start, while Sergio Perez took third place from Carlos Sainz as Max Verstappen moved ahead of George Russell. Contact on Lap 1 between Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda led to a puncture for the Aston Martin and a retirement for the RB.
Norris made up three places in the opening laps and continued his drive through the field as the laps ticked by. He also aided team-mate Piastri in his battle up front, slowing down Perez while the Australian was in the pit lane. Piastri stayed ahead as a result of the team game. At the start of Lap 20, an audacious move at Turn 1 saw Piastri take the lead from Leclerc.
Brake issues for Verstappen put him at a disadvantage in an on-track fight with championship rival Norris, who by now had progressed into the top six. Norris finally pitted on Lap 38, meaning he ran seventh until Lap 49 when he re-took sixth from Verstappen.
Leclerc remained within touching distance of Piastri but there was no way through for the Ferrari, who came under pressure from Perez in the closing stages. On Lap 50, Perez and Leclerc went wheel to wheel as they squabbled over second place. It allowed Sainz to close in and he and Perez then collided, putting both out of the race.
Piastri clinched his second Grand Prix win under Virtual Safety Car conditions and he was joined on the podium by Leclerc and Russell. The late race crash meant that Norris finished fourth, with Verstappen behind in fifth. Both Williams drivers finished in the top eight, with Colapinto scoring points for the first time, while a last minute move from Bearman in the final moments before the VSC was called saw him take the final point from team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP AT BAKU CITY CIRCUIT?
Attending the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting Bahrain International Circuit in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.