The 2026 Formula 1 calendar brings the sport back to the Baku City Circuit, a venue that has earned a reputation for delivering some of the most dramatic and incident‑laden races of the year. This weekend’s event is unusual because the main race is scheduled for Saturday rather than the traditional Sunday. The shift is due to Azerbaijan’s national Remembrance Day, observed on Sunday, September 27, which means the Grand Prix itself will take place on Saturday, September 26, with qualifying on Friday and the two practice sessions on Thursday. The Baku weekend marks the start of a three‑race overseas swing that will see the championship travel next to Malaysia and then Singapore.
Because the organizers have moved the entire program forward by one day, the usual timetable is compressed: Thursday hosts the first two practice sessions, Friday is reserved for the final practice and qualifying, and Saturday sees the race run at midday local time (1 p.m. UK time, as Azerbaijan is three hours ahead of the United Kingdom). This slightly earlier slot also means that fans in Europe will be able to watch the action without staying up late into the night.
The championship battle is already taking shape. Kimi Antonelli, who has claimed back‑to‑back victories in Monza and Madrid, leads the drivers’ standings by a commanding 81 points. With eight rounds still to contest after Baku, his rivals must seize every opportunity to close the gap.
However, the Baku circuit is notorious for punishing even the smallest mistake. Last year, Oscar Piastri learned this the hard way when a momentary lapse on the wall‑lined street layout ended his race prematurely. The combination of high‑speed sections and tight, technical corners makes qualifying and the race a true test of driver skill and concentration. The Baku City Circuit first appeared on the F1 schedule in 2016, initially under the banner of the European Grand Prix before adopting the Azerbaijan name from the following season.
It is one of the fastest street circuits in the series, featuring a 1.4‑mile (2.25 km) main straight that is the longest of any race venue this year. Cars regularly exceed 200 mph (320 km/h) on this straight, creating abundant slip‑streaming opportunities and allowing up to three cars to race side‑by‑side into Turn 1. That braking zone has already produced memorable incidents, most famously the 2018 collision between Red Bull teammates Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
After the opening straight, the layout transitions into two shorter straights linked by classic 90‑degree street‑circuit turns. The track then weaves into the historic heart of Baku, navigating the narrowest part of the circuit at just 7.6 metres (25 ft) between the barriers. Here, the Turn 8‑9 "castle" chicane skirts the UNESCO‑protected medieval district, demanding precise car control and leaving little room for error.
Drivers must balance the desire for aggressive overtaking with the risk of clipping the walls, a dynamic that has produced both spectacular passes and dramatic retirements. Weather forecasts for the week predict warm, dry conditions with daytime temperatures hovering in the mid‑20s Celsius (mid‑70s Fahrenheit). Such stable weather typically leads to consistent track temperatures, allowing teams to lock in their tyre strategies early in the weekend. Nonetheless, the high ambient heat can increase tyre degradation on the long straight, so engineers will be closely monitoring wear rates throughout the sessions.
The official programme for the weekend is as follows: - **Wednesday, 23 September** – 11:00 am Drivers' Press Conference; 2:00 pm Paddock Uncut. - **Thursday, 24 September** – 6:55 am Formula 2 practice; 9:00 am Azerbaijan GP Practice 1 (starts at 9:30 am); 10:55 am Formula 2 qualifying; 12:00 pm Team Bosses' Press Conference; 12:30 pm Practice 2 (starts at 1:00 pm); 2:15 pm The F1 Show. - **Friday, 25 September** – 5:10 am Formula 2 sprint; 9:15 am Practice 3 (starts at 9:30 am); 11:10 am Formula 2 Feature Race 1; 12:30 pm Qualifying build‑up; 1:00 pm Azerbaijan GP Qualifying; 3:00 pm Ted's Qualifying Notebook. - **Saturday, 26 September** – 7:55 am Formula 2 Feature Race 2; 10:30 am Grand Prix; 12:00 pm The Azerbaijan Grand Prix (race start); 2:00 pm Chequered‑Flag reaction; 3:00 pm Ted's Notebook.
All sessions marked with an asterisk are also broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event. Sky customers can watch the entire weekend—from Thursday’s first practice to Saturday’s race—via the Sky Sports F1 channel or the Sky Sports app, where they have the option to select a driver’s onboard camera.
Non‑Sky viewers can stream the action through the NOW platform, which offers both day‑pass and month‑pass options with no contract required. In addition, a live blog provides minute‑by‑minute updates for fans on the move, and highlights are posted shortly after the race on the Sky Sports app. For those unfamiliar with the streaming service, NOW is an instant‑access app that delivers all twelve Sky Sports channels, including Sky Sports+, across more than 60 devices. Membership is flexible, allowing users to cancel at any time, making it a convenient way to catch the Baku showdown without committing to a long‑term contract.
In summary, the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix offers a unique blend of high‑speed thrills, historic scenery, and a slightly altered schedule that accommodates local observances. With the championship leader looking dominant, the weekend also presents a crucial opportunity for his challengers to mount a comeback—provided they can avoid the circuit’s infamous walls and make the most of the overtaking chances on the world’s longest F1 straight. Fans can enjoy the action live on Saturday at midday, either via traditional television, the Sky Sports app, or the flexible NOW streaming service, ensuring that the excitement of Baku reaches a global audience.