The 2026 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on a Saturday for the first time in Baku’s history, with the 51-lap race around the 6.003km Baku City Circuit starting at 3pm local time (7am ET, 12pm BST) on Saturday, September 26, according to the official Formula 1 timetable.
The whole weekend has moved forward by a day. As ESPN reports, the change followed a request from the Azerbaijan promoter and government stakeholders so the race does not clash with Remembrance Day on Sunday, September 27, which commemorates those who died in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Running now begins on Thursday, September 24, with first practice from 12:30 to 13:30 local time (4:30am ET) and second practice from 16:00 to 17:00 (8am ET). On Friday, September 25, third practice runs from 12:30 local (4:30am ET), followed by qualifying from 16:00 to 17:00 local (8am ET). Baku is four hours ahead of UTC.
Saturday races are not new to Formula 1: Las Vegas has raced on a Saturday since 2023, and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia both held Saturday races in 2024. The race has a two-hour maximum duration, and Formula 1 notes the timetable remains subject to change.
Red Bull have already confirmed that Isack Hadjar will return from his wrist injury in Baku, with Liam Lawson going back to Racing Bulls.
