The race in Baku first appeared on the Formula 1 calendar in 2016 as the European Grand Prix, but since 2017, it has been officially called the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Since then, Baku has provided plenty of drama, with some unforgettable moments like the infamous Lewis Hamilton vs. Sebastian Vettel incident in 2017. The circuit itself has produced a variety of winners, showing that it is anyone's race on the streets of the capital city.

Baku's layout features some of the tightest corners in Formula 1, making it a challenge for drivers to balance precision and aggression. The contrast with the Monaco Grand Prix is striking—while both are street circuits, Baku is much faster and features a longer lap time. As a result, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix often leads to a much more chaotic race.

Aside from some iconic races that took unpredictable turns like Daniel Ricciardo’s 2017 victory, or Max Verstappen’s late puncture in 2021, the winners of the event are also impossible to predict. The only driver who won this race twice, is Segio Pérez, who claimed victory in 2021 and 2023 with Red Bull.

The first press conferences are planned for Thursday September 18. FP1 and FP2 will take place one day later, on September 19. Saturday September 20 will feature one final practice session before Grand Prix qualifying, finally, on Sunday September 21 it is time for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The Azerbaijan GP can be followed live on GPblog an hour before each session. As with all other Grands Prix, the race will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and F1TV Pro, as well as qualifying and free practice sessions.

Track time

Free Practice 1: Friday, September 19 12.30-13.30 

Free Practice 2: Friday, September 19 16.00-17.00 

Free Practice 3: Friday, September 20 12.30-13.30 

Qualifying: Saturday, September 20 16.00-17.00 

Race: Sunday, September 21 15.00-17.00 

CEST

Free Practice 1: Friday, September 19 10.30-11.30 

Free Practice 2: Friday, September 19 14.00-15.00 

Free Practice 3: Friday, September 20 11.30-12.30 

Qualifying: Saturday, September 20 14.00-15.00 

Race: Sunday, September 21 13.00-15.00 

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the seventeenth race on the 2025 F1 calendar – after the Italian GP and before the Singapore GP. View the full 2025 F1 calendar here.

In 2025, Formula 1 will once again be broadcast in the UK by Sky Sports. All F1 sessions across the weekend will be available on their broadcasting channel, with live commentary by David Croft and ex-F1 driver Martin Brundle. Sky Sports will also provide pre- and post-race coverage of qualifying and the Grand Prix.

Another option to watch Formula 1 live is through F1TV Pro, the official streaming service of Formula 1. F1TV Pro broadcasts all the sessions from the Azerbaijan GP live, and viewers have the ability to choose their preferred commentators as well.

Once more, Baku delivered a stunning race in 2024. Charles Leclerc took pole position in Qualifying for the fourth time in a row. For a while, the Monegasque driver seemed to be on his way to a first-ever victory at this venue as he was leading Oscar Piastri by over five seconds. After the pit stops, however, Piastri popped up in the mirrors of the Ferrari, increasing the pressure on Leclerc. A fabulous Turn 1 divebomb saw the McLaren take over the lead of the race, but the race remained extremely close. Due to a late crash between Segio Pérez and Carlos Sainz, the race ended under a Virtual Safety Car with Piastri winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ahead of Leclerc and Russell.

Like any winner in Baku whose name is not Sergio Pérez, Hamilton was victorious in Azerbaijan once in his career. 2018 was the year in which the Brit got it all together in Baku, he benefited from teammate Bottas’ bad luck who punctured his right rear tire on debris from the infamous Red Bull collision that happened earlier that race. What looked to become a certain Mercedes one-two finish, fell apart as Bottas could not score points. In other years, however, Hamilton has been quite unlucky. 2017, for example, featured a collision with Sebastian Vettel behind the Safety Car, causing both drivers to drop back in the final classifications. In 2021, the seven-time world champion was in a sublime position to score big points in the championship as his rival Max Verstappen had crashed out due to a late puncture. At the red flag restart, however, Hamilton went straight ahead in Turn 1 after sending it on leader Sergio Pérez. Hamilton ultimately scored zero points in that race.