The 2026 Formula 1 calendar brings the sport back to the Baku City Circuit, a venue notorious for producing some of the most chaotic and thrilling races of the year. This weekend is unique because the Grand Prix is scheduled for Saturday rather than the usual Sunday, a decision driven by local commemorations and logistical considerations.
The event marks the start of a three‑race overseas swing that will continue with stops in Malaysia and Singapore, making Baku the opening act of a demanding triple‑header. The altered timetable means that the traditional Friday‑Saturday‑Sunday format is compressed into Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Practice sessions kick off on Thursday, giving drivers a chance to acclimatise to the demanding street layout.
Qualifying follows on Friday, and the main race takes place on Saturday, 26 September. The shift is necessary because Azerbaijan observes Remembrance Day on Sunday, 27 September, and the organizers have chosen to avoid a clash with national ceremonies. From a competitive standpoint, the championship leader Kimi Antonelli arrives in Baku with an 81‑point advantage after back‑to‑back victories in Monza and Madrid. With eight rounds remaining, his rivals must seize any opportunity to close the gap, but the Baku circuit is unforgiving.
As last year’s title‑contender Oscar Piastri discovered, the narrow, wall‑lined sections can punish even the slightest error, turning a routine lap into a high‑speed nightmare. The Baku City Circuit first appeared on the F1 schedule in 2016, initially under the banner of the European Grand Prix before adopting the country’s name the following year.
It is one of the sport’s fastest street tracks, featuring a 1.4‑mile straight that is the longest of the season. Cars regularly exceed 200 mph on this straight, creating massive slip‑streaming opportunities and allowing up to three cars to race side‑by‑side. The first corner, a heavy braking zone, has already produced dramatic incidents, most famously the 2018 clash between Red Bull teammates Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
After the opening straight, drivers navigate two shorter straights linked by classic 90‑degree turns before entering the historic heart of Baku. Here the track narrows dramatically, reaching a width of just 7.6 metres at the Turn Eight‑Nine "castle" chicane, which winds past the UNESCO‑protected medieval district. This section is the narrowest on the calendar and demands razor‑sharp precision; a single mis‑judgement can send a car into the barriers. Weather forecasts for race week predict warm, dry conditions with daytime highs in the mid‑20s Celsius, ideal for high‑performance tyre operation.
The schedule for the weekend is packed: - Wednesday 23 September: Drivers’ press conference at 11:00 am, followed by the Paddock Uncut at 2:00 pm. - Thursday 24 September: F2 practice at 6:55 am, Azerbaijan GP Practice 1 at 9:30 am, F2 qualifying at 10:55 am, Team bosses’ press conference at 12:00 pm, Practice 2 at 1:00 pm, and the F1 Show at 2:15 pm. - Friday 25 September: F2 sprint at 5:10 am, Practice 3 at 9:30 am, F2 Feature Race 1 at 11:10 am, Qualifying build‑up at 12:30 pm, Azerbaijan GP Qualifying at 1:00 pm, and Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 3:00 pm.
- Saturday 26 September: F2 Feature Race 2 at 7:55 am, Grand Prix start at 10:30 am, the main race at 12:00 pm, Chequered‑flag reaction at 2:00 pm, and Ted’s Notebook at 3:00 pm. All sessions are broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 for subscribers, with additional streaming options via the Sky Sports app and the NOW platform for non‑Sky customers.
Viewers can watch the entire weekend—from the first practice on Thursday morning to the race finish on Saturday—through Sky’s linear channels, the app’s on‑demand service, or a contract‑free NOW Day or Month pass that works on more than 60 devices. For fans on the move, a dedicated live‑blog provides minute‑by‑minute updates, and highlights are posted shortly after the chequered flag on the Sky Sports app. Sky subscribers also have access to extra features such as Sky ID assistance, which helps users set up or recover their login credentials.
In summary, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix’s Saturday slot is a result of respecting the nation’s Remembrance Day while still delivering a full‑throttle F1 spectacle. The compressed schedule adds an extra layer of intensity for teams and drivers, who must quickly adapt to the circuit’s blend of ultra‑high‑speed straights and razor‑thin corners. With the championship lead firmly in Antonelli’s hands but the field eager to mount a challenge, Baku promises another chapter of unpredictable drama, high‑speed duels, and the ever‑present risk of a wall‑hit that can turn the fortunes of the title hunt in an instant.