24–26 SEP · BAKU · ROUND 15
Weekend previewAzerbaijan Grand Prix 2026 predictions
Baku races on Saturday this year. The long straight rewards efficiency; the old-city walls punish every mistake.
Weekend schedule
BAKU TIME- Practice 1
- Thu 24 Sept, 12:30 GMT+4
- Practice 2
- Thu 24 Sept, 16:00 GMT+4
- Practice 3
- Fri 25 Sept, 12:30 GMT+4
- Qualifying
- Fri 25 Sept, 16:00 GMT+4
- Grand Prix
- Sat 26 Sept, 15:00 GMT+4
Calendar change
The Grand Prix is on Saturday
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was originally due on Sunday 27 September. Formula 1 and the FIA moved it to Saturday 26 September at the promoter’s request, to accommodate a national day.
The entire programme moved with it. Practice starts on Thursday, qualifying is Friday, and race picks lock on Saturday. The sessions are in their usual order; only the days changed. Formula 1 announcement (opens in a new tab).
- Thursday
- Practice 1 and Practice 2
- Friday
- Practice 3 and Qualifying
- Saturday
- Grand Prix
- Race start
- 15:00 Baku time
What matters in Baku
Baku asks for low drag on its enormous straight and grip through the slow old-city section. Every setup gives something away.
- km circuit
- 6.003
- race laps
- 51
- turns
- 20
- local start
- 15:00
Straight-line efficiency
Speed from Turn 16 to Turn 1
The flat-out run is long enough to expose drag. A car that reaches the straight slowly keeps paying for it for almost two kilometres.
Old-city confidence
Commitment through Turns 8 to 12
The road narrows beside the castle walls. A driver who leaves margin loses time that cannot be recovered in that sector.
Braking stability
Lock-ups at Turns 1 and 3
Both stops follow high speed and offer passing chances. A weak front end costs lap time and invites an overtake.
Wind direction
Changes in braking points and tow strength
The exposed straights make the lap sensitive to gusts. A braking reference that worked on one lap can move on the next.
Tyre choice
Baku gets the softest three tyres
C1
Not used at Baku
C2
Not used at Baku
C3
hard
C4
medium
C5
soft
Pirelli selected C3, C4 and C5. Baku generally produces low degradation, and the one-stop has often been the quickest route even when a softer range is available.
The strategic question is timing. A Safety Car can make a stop cheap, but waiting for one that never arrives leaves a driver on old tyres. The 2025 race stayed a straightforward one-stop after its early Safety Car. Pirelli’s selection (opens in a new tab).
Pick risk
A mixed grid does not guarantee a recovery drive
Baku qualifying can produce a strange order because the walls punish small mistakes. In 2025, qualifying set a record for red flags, but the race then settled into DRS trains and a one-stop strategy.
Do not move every front-runner straight back into your Top 5 after a poor qualifying result. The main straight creates passes, but the narrow technical section and low tyre degradation can also keep a train together. Separate drivers who were quick before an isolated mistake from cars that lacked pace all weekend.
Championship standings
After 12 rounds, Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers’ table by 59 points from George Russell. The Italian Grand Prix and the Madrid Grand Prix still have to be scored, so this table will change before Baku.
View full 2026 standingsDrivers
AFTER 12 ROUNDS- 1Kimi Antonelli242 PTS
- 2George Russell183 PTS
- 3Lewis Hamilton183 PTS
- 4Lando Norris159 PTS
- 5Charles Leclerc155 PTS
- 6Max Verstappen112 PTS
Scored through round 12, updated 23 AUG 2026.
Before you lock your Top 5
Start with straight-line efficiency
A quick first sector is not enough if the car loses heavily on the run from Turn 16 to Turn 1.
Check the reason for a poor grid spot
A wall touch or yellow flag is different from a car that was slow in every qualifying segment.
Do not assume a Safety Car
Keep it as a risk factor, but build the Top 5 around pace that works through a normal one-stop race.
Watch the wind
A driver repeatedly missing the same braking point may be fighting an unstable car rather than making one mistake.
Common questions
Why is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix on a Saturday?
Formula 1 and the FIA moved the race from Sunday 27 September to Saturday 26 September at the promoter’s request, to accommodate a national day. Every session moved one day earlier, so practice starts on Thursday and qualifying is on Friday.
When is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
The weekend runs from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September 2026 in Baku. Qualifying starts at 16:00 Baku time on Friday and the 51-lap Grand Prix starts at 15:00 on Saturday.
Is Baku a street circuit?
Yes. The 6.003-kilometre Baku City Circuit uses public roads, including the narrow section through the old city and the long flat-out run to Turn 1.
How are Azerbaijan Grand Prix predictions scored?
An exact Top 5 position earns 5 points, one position away earns 3, and selecting a driver who finishes elsewhere in the actual Top 5 earns 1 point.
Make your Baku picks
Choose five drivers for qualifying and five for the race. You can change them until each session locks.