Your guide to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Presented by OKX
“This time away from the track has actually been very busy at the factory”
We’re heading to The Land of Fire this week, and if you’ve got any burning questions about the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the new-look Sprint format, or our impending upgrades, then our all-encompassing, all knowing, digital guide is here to answer them.
After a lengthy break between Rounds 3 and 4, we’re all fired up to get back on track. We’re bringing new components for the MCL60 with us to Azerbaijan, and although we’re unlikely to reap the rewards until later in the season, we’ll see the first shoots of these improvements in Baku.
As we prepare to finally return to Formula 1 racing, we’ve prepared you a fact file full of Azerbaijan Grand Prix info, including quotes from Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Team Principal Andrea Stella. We’ve also gathered some key stats, a handy track guide and an explainer for the all-new Sprint Race format.
Critical info
| Round | 4 |
| Where | Baku City Circuit |
| When | 28 - 30 April |
| Lights out | 15:00 local / 12:00 MTC |
| Follow | The website and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio |
“I’m looking forward to Baku and to go racing again. It’s been a productive three weeks off with sim work and analysis with my engineers but also taking time to rest and reset ahead of a busy few races.
“I’m also excited that we’re at another street circuit and trying out the new Sprint format. It will be interesting to see how it works and hopefully it will make good viewing for the fans. The track is narrow so it’s as important as ever to be on it as there are lots of opportunities for mistakes. This is even more important as we optimise and learn everything we can about the new parts we’re bringing to the track this weekend. Let’s get back to it.”
“I’m excited to go racing in Baku and I feel rested and ready after the three-week break. I’ve raced here previously in Formula 2 and it's a cool circuit with the backdrop of the city and the castle. It’s a tricky circuit to get right from a car set-up perspective, given the long straight at the end of the lap, combined with the tighter sections of the track. We’ve been doing a lot of work in the simulator to ensure we hit the ground running on Friday, especially given the Sprint format, which I'm looking forward to taking on for the first time in Formula 1.
“I’ll be hoping to build on the momentum from Australia where I achieved my first-ever F1 points. We still have a lot of work to do and a long way to go so I’ll keep my head down and keep working hard.”
Land of fire
The Baku City Circuit always produces fiery fights, largely due to the track’s enormous straight. Between Turns 16 to 1, drivers can put their foot down and go flat out for 2.2km. For context, the Circuit de Monaco is only 3.337km in its entirety.
There are technically four turns during this 2.2km sequence, including changes of direction at Turns 18 and 19, but the foot never lifts off the pedal, and it all leads up to a mega overtaking opportunity at Turn 1.
As street circuits go, Azerbaijan is among the most spacious, but that doesn’t mean it’s all wide-open roads and overtaking opportunities… There’s a snug little section that spans just 7.6 metres wall-to-wall, requiring Monaco-esque levels of precision.
Given the variety of challenges that the Baku City Circuit offers up, it can be tricky for engineers to know how to set up – do you look to exploit the long-straight and accept that you’ll lose out in many of the corners, or do you focus on the corners and just try to tread water between Turns 16 and 1?
Spriiiiiiiiiiiiint
You can get the full lowdown on the new Sprint format here, but the big change for this year is that it will now be a standalone event, which will not affect the starting grid on Sunday. That means that we’ll get two qualifying sessions, one for the Sprint and one for Sunday’s grand prix.
The actual Sprint race will follow the same format as in 2022, with points handed out to the top eight finishers: the winner taking home eight points, and the driver in eighth gaining just one point. Unlike in 2022, the finishing order of the Sprint Race will not affect the starting grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The race on Sunday will then take place as usual… Make sense? Good.
Australia from the archives
Last time out
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? It wasn’t so long ago that a month’s break in the Formula 1 season was the norm, but we’ve grown accustomed to the luxury of races coming thick and fast and have felt a real sense of longing over the past few weeks.
For anyone who has forgotten, we scored double points last time out in a hectic Australian Grand Prix, as Lando and Oscar steered clear of the chaos to finish sixth and eighth, respectively. Putting points on the board for the first time in 2023, the result lifted us to fifth in the Teams’ Championship.
Setting the scene
With an alluring combination of historical and modern architecture, located on the Caspian Sea coastline, the city of Baku makes for a stunning backdrop for Formula 1 racing.
Azerbaijan is known as “The Land of Fire” and, rather appropriately, features a burning mountain known as the Yanar Dağ, which is an entirely natural fire that has been burning for more than 65 years, kept ablaze by natural gases that seep through the ground. In keeping with the fiery theme, the Baku city skyline is also dominated by the famous Flame Towers, which light up at night.
Situated between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, Azerbaijani culture takes influence from each. One of the country’s traditional dishes is the Shakh Pilaf, made from lamb and dried fruits, and baked in Lavash bread. If you’re going, you should also try their black tea, brewed in a small metal urn, known as a samovar, and served with fruits such as lemon, sugar cubes and sweets.
“We come to Baku following a solid result in Australia, a short period away from track to refocus, and with good spirits in the team, so we’re ready to go again for the first double-header of the season. Whilst the result in Australia was positive, we know we’ve still got a lot of work to do and this time away from the track has actually been very busy at the factory.
“We also bring some new components to the MCL60. Although, we recognise that in Baku we may not immediately see most of the benefits of these new spec parts, this is just one of many steps in a wider plan to push us forward in the Constructors’ Championship.
“The team are also looking forward to the first weekend of the new Sprint format. At any street circuit, there is always more risk associated with events like this, but the team have prepared well, and we look forward to going back to racing.”
Set your alarms
| Free Practice 1 | 02:30 PT / 10:30 BST / 19:30 AET |
| Qualifying | 06:00 PT / 14:00 BST / 23:00 AET |
| Sprint Shootout | 01:30 PT / 09:30 BST / 18:30 AET |
| Sprint | 06:30 PT / 14:30 BST / 23:30 AET |
| Race | 04:00 PT / 12:00 BST / 21:00 AET |
Stat pack
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Lando has scored points every time he has raced in Azerbaijan, a record that dates back to his 2018 F2 campaign
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No driver has ever won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix twice
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Oscar scored a podium in the 2021 Formula 2 Feature Race at Baku
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Designed by Hermann Tilke, the Baku City Circuit was opened in 2017
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At 6.003km, the Baku City Circuit is the fourth longest on the calendar
The fit: Miami vibes
The Miami Grand Prix is only a week away, and given that it’s set in the Hard Rock Stadium, home to NFL’s Miami Dolphins, we thought it only fitting we released a sports-themed drop. And who better to collab with than the legendary Mitchell & Ness?
Mitchell & Ness have knocked it out of the park with their latest McLaren drop, releasing a range of Miami-inspired sportswear that includes baseball and basketball jerseys, as well as some distinctly floral Miami shorts and some streetwear-style tees.
