Azerbaijan GP

• Track features

  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.

• What's it like in Baku?

  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.

• 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.