The street-based Baku City Circuit will continue to stage the Formula 1 (F1) Azerbaijan Grand Prix (GP) until at least 2030 after striking a four-year extension with the iconic motor racing series.
Baku’s race, which travels along the coastline and through the city’s old town, joined the F1 calendar in 2016 as the European GP before being renamed as the Azerbaijan GP a year later. Its last contract renewal came in 2023, which is due to end after the 2026 edition.
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It has become one of the more entertaining circuits on the F1 calendar due to its unpredictability, with seven different winners across eight editions. However, as one of the commercially quieter races on the F1 calendar, it had been touted as being at risk of losing its place as new venues jostle to find space on the schedule.
F1 organizers have also struggled to find a place on the calendar for the race feature in recent years as the schedule grows.
Traditionally featured in the first half of the season, in 2023 it was controversially moved to straight after the Miami GP, creating logistical issues for teams. It was then shifted to the second half of the 2024 calendar as a standalone race between Italy and Singapore, a place it retained for this year’s edition.
However, the new deal, announced ahead of the race’s eighth edition yesterday, ended the speculation over its future, with F1 president and chief executive Stefano Domenicali stating: “There’s an incredible energy to the city of Baku and since our first Grand Prix here in 2016, Formula 1 has consistently received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from the people of Azerbaijan.
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By GlobalData“The circuit is unique, with technical sections and long straights that run through the stunning shoreline and historic old town, delivering an eventful and entertaining race every year.
“This renewal reflects the strong trust and commitment between Formula 1, the Azerbaijani Government, and the promoter, and paves the way for an exciting future in the country.”
F1 has been consolidating its future race calendar with several host contract renewals, most recently with the iconic Monaco street race until at least 2035.
In June, F1 announced the Austrian GP and Canadian GP would remain on the calendar until 2041 and 2035, respectively, while January saw F1 extend its contract with the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps.
Last November, hosting rights renewals took place covering the (equally iconic) Monaco and Monza circuits, while F1 struck a three-year extension that will see the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City continue to host F1 action through 2028.
The 2025 F1 season, featuring 24 races, began in Australia in mid-March and runs through to Abu Dhabi in early December.
