The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is one of the newest additions to the f1 calendar. the first race at this venue was held in 2016 and was named the European Grand Prix.
The inaugural race as Azerbaijan Grand Prix followed in 2017. The Baku City Circuit s a street circuit which means that it is a public road that is temporarily closed down for the event. Under the current contract, the event is fixed to be held until at least the 2024 season.
Azerbaijan GP Statistics
| First Grand Prix | 2016 as European Grand Prix. 2017 as Azerbaijan Grand Prix. |
| Track Length | 6.003 km |
| Lap Record | 1m 43.009s (The record was set by Charles Leclerc in 2019) |
| Most Wins(Drivers) | No repeat winners |
| Most Wins(Constructors) | Red Bull Racing |
| Race Distance | 306.049 km |
| DRS Zones | 2 |
Last Five Azerbaijan GP Winners (Drivers)
| Year | Drivers |
| 2017 | Daniel Ricciardo |
| 2018 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 2019 | Valtteri Bottas |
| 2020 | Not held(Due to Covid) |
| 2021 | Sergio Perez |
| 2022 | Max Verstappen |
Last five Azerbaijan GP winners(Constructors)
| Year | Constructors |
| 2017 | Red Bull |
| 2018 | Mercedes |
| 2019 | Mercedes |
| 2020 | Not held (Due to Covid) |
| 2021 | Red Bull |
| 2022 | Red Bull |
Key Specifications of the Track
The Baku City Circuit features 20 Turns spread over a length of 6.0003 meters. It is a mix of wide, open, tight, and twisty turns that follow the usual public road.
The end of the long straight on Turn 1 is the beginning of the twisty lanes of Baku that go around the city. From a driver’s perspective, the slightest of mistakes on this track can lead to a massive loss.
Similar to Monaco, the track is narrow and there are not much of overtaking opportunities apart from the 90-degree turn at Turn 1. In terms of set-up, the teams are forced to choose between downforce to benefit from the twisty lanes and less drag to take advantage of the straights.
Furthermore, the track features two DRS zones. The detection of DRS zone 1 starts at Safety Car Line Two just before Turn 2. However, the DRS gets activated 54 meters after Turn 2.
Similarly, the detection for DRS zone 2 begins at Turn 2o just before Turn 1. The DRS Detection Zone 2 is also followed by the Speed Trap. It is activated 347 meters after Turn 20.
