Baku City Circuit

Baku City Circuit at a glance

Location

Baku, Baku

Type

street circuit

Length

6.003 km (3.73 mi)

Turns

20

Direction

counter-clockwise

Surface

asphalt (closed public roads)

Opened

2016

Owner

Baku City Circuit Operation Company

Capacity

18,500

Address

Streets around Azadliq Square, Government House and Baku Old City (Icherisheher)

Website

bakucitycircuit.com

Track map and layout

Designed by Hermann Tilke, Baku City Circuit runs counter-clockwise for 6.003 km (3.730 mi) over 20 corners, making it the fourth-longest circuit on the modern Formula 1 calendar behind Spa, Jeddah and Las Vegas. The lap starts near Azadliq Square, loops past Government House, then runs a roughly 1 km straight west toward the Palace of the Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower before threading a famously narrow, only 7.6-metre-wide uphill section through the medieval Old City walls, the so-called Castle Section. After the tight, twisting castle corners the track drops back down and opens onto the 2.2 km Neftchilar Avenue seafront straight, where cars reach speeds close to 360 km/h, giving Baku a reputation as one of the fastest street circuits in the world and a rare combination of tight, low-speed castle corners with a genuine top-speed straight.

Named corners and sections

• Castle Section. A cluster of tight, low-speed corners near Turn 8/9 through the Old City walls, including a section only 7.6 metres wide, one of the narrowest points on the F1 calendar and a frequent site of practice and qualifying incidents.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

The Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the circuit's headline event, held annually in September since the venue opened in 2016 (the inaugural 2016 race was run as the European Grand Prix). Formula 2 has supported the F1 weekend on the same closed-road course since the circuit opened, and GP2 raced there in the venue's first season before the series was rebranded as F2.

Getting there and parking

Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD), around 20-25 km northeast of the city centre, is Baku's main international gateway and the arrival point for most Grand Prix visitors. Central Baku is well served by the Baku Metro, with stations including 28 May a short walk from parts of the circuit and from Baku Old City, making the metro a practical way to reach the track without needing a car during race weekend when many city-centre roads are closed.

• Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) · about 30 min drive

Use the Baku Metro (28 May station is close to the Old City and circuit perimeter) rather than driving, since large sections of the city centre are closed to traffic around the track during the Grand Prix weekend.

Hotels and camping near Baku City Circuit

Most Grand Prix visitors base themselves in central Baku, within walking or short metro distance of the circuit and the Old City. Hotels closest to the track and Icherisheher sell out and rise sharply in price well ahead of race weekend, so visitors on a budget typically look slightly further out along the Baku Boulevard seafront or near the 28 May metro station.

Where to look

Baku Old City (Icherisheher) and the immediately surrounding streets, for walking distance to the Castle Section; Baku Boulevard/seafront hotels along Neftchilar Avenue, close to the fast final sector; the wider city centre near 28 May metro station for more affordable options with an easy ride in.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

There are no public track days on Baku City Circuit. Like other Formula 1 street circuits, it exists only as closed public roads used for the annual Grand Prix weekend and is not available for general driving or riding at any other time.

Lap records

Spectator guide

Grandstands are erected along Neftchilar Avenue's fast seafront straight and around the tighter Castle Section corners, giving contrasting views of the circuit's two personalities: high top-speed running along the water and technical, barrier-lined racing through the Old City. The narrow Castle Section in particular draws spectators wanting to see cars thread the circuit's tightest point up close.

Seating

Grandstands line the Neftchilar Avenue straight and cluster around the Castle Section corners near the Old City walls.

Best places to watch

The Castle Section offers close-up views of the circuit's narrowest, most technical corners; seafront grandstands along Neftchilar Avenue are the place to see the circuit's high top speeds.

Weather

• September (Grand Prix): warm and generally dry, daytime highs typically around 25-28°C

History of Baku City Circuit

A purpose-built street circuit for a new F1 market

Baku City Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and built through the streets of central Baku, opening in June 2016 specifically to host Formula 1. Its debut Grand Prix that year was run under the name European Grand Prix before the event was rebranded the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from 2017 onward, and it quickly became known as one of the most distinctive additions to the modern F1 calendar.

Old City meets seafront straight

What sets Baku apart from other street circuits is the contrast built into its layout: a narrow, medieval-width passage through the walls of Baku's UNESCO-listed Old City, only 7.6 metres wide in places, sits alongside a 2.2 km seafront straight along Neftchilar Avenue where cars reach some of the highest top speeds seen anywhere on the F1 calendar. That combination has produced unpredictable racing and numerous high-profile incidents, particularly around the tight Castle Section, where barriers leave little margin for error.

A calendar fixture with occasional interruptions

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix has run in most years since 2016, with the race skipped in 2020 and 2025 due to scheduling and other disruptions but otherwise remaining a fixture in September. Its blend of a long, fast straight and a tight, walled old-town section has made it a popular venue with drivers and fans alike, and it continues to host Formula 2 alongside the F1 field on the same closed-road course.

Frequently asked questions