Located in the heart of the city along the stunning Caspian Sea coastline, the Baku City Circuit’s backdrop is a unique combination of the old and the new, featuring an array of eye-catching skyscrapers and modern buildings, juxtapositioned by the team’s historic old town, which comprises more traditional architecture, including a UNESCO Heritage Site.

But the Baku City Circuit isn’t on the calendar for aesthetics’ alone, it also provides some of the year’s closest and most exciting races, with a layout as varied as it’s surroundings. In our guide to the Grand Prix, we’ll delve into the detail and explain what makes the track unique and thrilling in equal measure.

We’ll also speak with Lando, Oscar and Andrea Stella, who will talk us through what they enjoy about the track, provide you with another F1 icebreaker and we’ll hand out some tips on what to wear.

“It was great to finish the final European race on the podium in our 12th consecutive Grand Prix. My engineers and I went over our performance in Monza, and found ways where we can do better, both from my side and as a team.

"Our goal is clear. I have every faith in the team to keep working and improving. Now with both Championships on the table, we're more determined than ever. I'm proud of the team and can’t wait to see what we can do this weekend.”

“I'm looking forward to returning to Baku. We haven't been to a street circuit in a few months and Baku always throws up some interesting races and opportunities. I'm optimistic about what we can do as a team with the car we have. The upgrades have been working well and it’s clear that we are competitive at all types of circuits.

“Last week I was back at the MTC to prepare for this double-header and sat down with my engineers to see how we can do better. We've been securing a lot of points in each race, and hopefully, this weekend will be no different.”

“After leaving Monza with two more trophies, we now look ahead to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Baku always provides an exciting race for the fans and an interesting challenge for us as a team.

“We have a car that is competitive in every situation and two great drivers who are consistently delivering strong points for the team. We’re excited to get the final third of the season underway.”

Track insights

The Baku City Circuit isn’t your average street track. It’s wide, free-flowing and fast, meaning that overtakes and battles are highly likely – especially going into the first turn, which has often played host to three-way fights.

Turn 1 proceeds an extensive 2.2km straight – more than half the length of the entire Monaco street circuit – that stretches from Turn 16 through four flat out corners, including a change of direction at roughly 300kph between Turns 18 and 19. This allows cars to get close to one another and ready up a move into the opening corner.

And yet, it also features one of the tightest sections on the calendar, just like you’d expect from a traditional street circuit. Turns 7, 8 and 9 wind through Baku’s beautiful Old City and narrow to just 7.6m wide, giving cars an entirely different type of challenge as they are required to weave through the medieval city walls.

If it wasn’t a temporary street circuit, Baku would make for an excellent testing track because it offers up a little bit of everything. That’s great for spectators, but tricky for engineers, who have to make a decision on what style of setup to prioritise.

The season so far

Lando and Oscar picked up another huge haul of points last time out in Italy as they finished second and third. The result in Monza was our second double podium of the year and moved us to within eight points of first place in the Constructors’ Championship. It was also our 12th consecutive podium and the sixth time in 10 races we’ve scored more than 30 points in a single weekend.

F1 translations: Downforce

F1 is full of specialist slang and complicated jargon that can stump even the most avid of fans, which is why we’ll be explaining common F1 terminology ahead of each grand prix this season. This week, it’s downforce.

Downforce is generated by a car’s body shape, which is designed to redirect airflow vertically over and under the car. The aim is to create a high-pressure area above the car and a low-pressure area beneath it, which pulls the car downwards onto the track.

There are various ways in which a car generates downforce, most notably the front and rear wings, and the car’s floor. An F1 car’s rear wing is actually very similar to the wings of an airplane, except they are placed upside down, which creates downforce and ‘sticks’ the car to the ground, instead of lifting it up into the air.

Depending on the circuit, teams will alter the amount of downforce created by their cars. If a track has lots of straights and fewer corners, then teams will run with less downforce, but if a circuit has lots of corners and shorter straights, then they will prioritise downforce.

This is because downforce increases grip and gives a car more control through corners and therefore allows them to go faster. However, downforce also increases drag, which is the aerodynamic resistance on a car as it travels through the air. This resistance slows the car down on a straight and reduces its speed.

F1 cars produce roughly 750kg of downforce at 100mph – not far off the car’s minimum weight of 798kg. This means that, theoretically, you could drive an F1 car upside down, if you were going fast enough, because the downforce generated would be greater than its weight.

F1 icebreaker

Stuck for conversation with your F1-loving friends? Spark up a discussion with our F1 icebreaker…

Turns 7, 8 and 9 bend through the fortress walls of Baku’s historic old city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The fit: Cap chic

We’ve got hats for every occasion and every outfit. A selection of McLaren-themed beanies for the winter, Truckers for the last of this year’s summer days and a new range of autumnal-coloured caps as the days begin to shorten. Need to liven up a suit in a formal occasion? The Seasonal 9Fifty Stretch-Snap in Stone would make a classy if unique addition to your three-piece.