This article is about the racing circuit used by Formula One. For the circuit used by the FIA GT and Blancpain Sprint Series, see Baku World Challenge.
In December 2013, Formula One President and CEO Bernie Ecclestone suggested that the race would be run in 2016 but later said that because the Korean Grand Prix organisers were in breach of contract, it would be moved to 2015.[7][8][9] However, in July 2014 it was announced that the race's debut would be delayed until 2016.[10]
Design
The layout of the 6 km (3.7 mi) circuit in the city of BakuThe Maiden Tower, near turn 18
The 6.003 km (3.730 mi), anti-clockwise layout of the circuit was designed by circuit architect Hermann Tilke.[11] The circuit starts adjacent to Azadliq Square, then loops around Government House before heading west along a 1 km (0.62 mi) straight to the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower. Here, the track has a narrow 7.6 m (25 ft) uphill traversal and then circles the Old City before opening up onto a 2.2 km (1.4 mi) stretch along Neftchilar Avenue back to the start line.[10][12] The circuit was projected to be the fastest street circuit in the world, with a top speed close to 360 km/h (220 mph)[13] and the second-longest circuit on the current F1 calendar, behind the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.[14][15] The circuit's tight layout through urban parkland shares similarities with the Montjuïc circuit which hosted the Spanish Grand Prix in the 1970s.[16]
Pirelli found that 90% of the rear tyres used in free practice for the 2016 Grand Prix had been cut by the bolts securing kerbs to the ground not being drilled into the ground far enough,[20] while Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg expressed concern over the lack of run-off areas which would be dangerous in the case of an incident such as a high speed puncture or mechanical failure. Valtteri Bottas was forced to miss the whole of Free Practice 3 when a drain cover came loose and caused significant damage to his Williams FW38.[21] Similarly, the first practice session of the 2019 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was cancelled when George Russell hit a loose drain cover.[22] Many drivers praised the circuit for the challenge offered by its mixture of long straights, slow technical sections and no margin for error due to the proximity of the walls.[23] In 2021, Rosberg criticised the location of the pit lane entrance adjacent to the 350 km/h (220 mph) main straight, calling it "one of the places I always found the most dangerous of the whole year".[24] Formula One race director Michael Masi disagreed with Rosberg, saying the venue "fulfils all of the various safety requirements that the FIA has within its regulation requirements.".[24]
In October 2022, Arif Rahimov was dismissed from the post of Executive Director of Baku City Circuit, after he had held this position for the past 7 years. Magsud Farzullayev was appointed acting executive director.[25]
