About
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race held on the Baku City Circuit. It is a street race in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It was called European Grand Prix in 2016. It was renamed as Azerbaijan Grand Prix, effective from the 2017 season.
It is one of the five street circuits on the grid alongside Australia, Monaco, Singapore, and Canada. The Baku City Circuit is one of only six circuits to have hosted the European Grand Prix. Brands Hatch, Donington, Jerez, Nurburgring, and Valencia were the other five circuits that hold the pride of hosting the European Grand Prix. The circuit is 6.003km in length and consist of multiple tight and twisty corners that keep drivers on their toes. The drivers take 51 laps across the circuit before the chequered flag is waved. Lewis Hamilton holds the record for the fastest time on the circuit with a time of 1:40:593 minutes.
Racing History
The first race ever event at Baku was held in 2016. Nico Rosberg would win the race from his teammate Lewis Hamilton. The 2017 race would feature as one of the best races of the season. The race would see Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel clashing, multiple safety cars, and restarts that would ultimately result in Daniel Ricciardo sneaking through to win the race.
The race would see Valterri Bottas overtake Lance Stroll just inches before the finish line to finish the race in second place. The race would also feature Valterri Bottas climbing through the field from the back of the grid to finish second. Lance Stroll would also record his first podium finish in Formula One in this race.
The 2018 race also featured a lot of action on track with Daniel Ricciardo this time getting involved in a crash with his teammate Max Verstappen. The race would eventually be won by Lewis Hamilton. The circuit with its long straights and proximity to the walls makes it prone to errors from the drivers and wheel to wheel racing.
The race in 2019 was however one of the less eventful races as the Mercedes duo of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton led the majority of the race and finished 1-2.
The circuit doesn’t feature any repeat winners as all the winners, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton, and Valtteri Bottas have won the rance only once.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was canceled in the 2020 season owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. For the 2021 season, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled to be held on June 6, 2021.
