The 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the 17th race of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championships, held on September 13-15 in Azadliq Square, Baku, Azerbaijan.
Date: | September 13-15 |
Circuit: | Baku City Circuit |
Location: | Azadliq Square, Baku, Azerbaijan |
Circuit Length: | 6.003 km (3.730 miles) |
Race Distance: | 51 Laps, 306.049 km (190.170 miles) |
Record Lap: | 1:43.009 - Charles Leclerc (2019) |
Last Winner: | Oscar Piastri |
Number of Turns: | 20 |
Azerbaijan Grand Prix is one of the newer additions to the calendar and one of the "youngest" GPs in the calendar. The first race of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix officially happened in 2017. However, the event takes place at Baku City Street Circuit, and the European Grand Prix was organized at the exact same track a year earlier in 2016.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been hosted exclusively at Baku City Street Circuit since the first race. It is the fourth longest track in the Formula 1 Championship, and it features the longest straight out of all the tracks in the calendar.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the first race to implement the "Sprint Shootout" format in 2023. In this new format, drivers and teams had only one practice session on Friday, followed by qualifying for the main event on the same day. The Sprint race took place after the sprint shootout - which is like a qualification for the sprint and the classic race took place on Sunday.
As the name suggests, the Baku City Street Circuit takes place right in the streets of the capital of Azerbaijan. Being situated in the streets, the circuit is characteristic of multiple very fast and long straights combined with slow and tight 90-degree turns.
The circuit is also famous for its "Castle Section". A series of slow and very tight corners where the F1 cars drive right around the castle. During 2019 qualifying, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc proved this section can be tricky as he crashed his car and put himself out of qualifying.
Azerbaijan Grand Prix has had a total of 5 winners over the six years of racing. These winners include Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez (who won twice), Max Verstappen, and Valtteri Bottas.