Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts later on Saturday, 26 September, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli facing a recovery race from the 16th. His Mercedes teammate George Russell starts on pole, setting up two very different battles at opposite ends of the grid.
The 51-lap race features a long straight that encourages overtaking and tight old-town corners with little margin for error. Teams must balance straight-line speed and cornering grip.
Organisers moved the weekend forward to avoid overlapping with Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day on 27 September.
When Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts and where to watch
The official schedule has lights out at 15:00 in Baku. All times in this table are local for Saturday; lights will be out at 11:00 UTC.
| Region | City / country | Race start |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | London, UK | 12:00 BST |
| Europe | Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid | 13:00 CEST |
| Europe | Athens, Helsinki | 14:00 EEST |
| North America | Los Angeles, US | 04:00 PDT |
| North America | Chicago, US | 06:00 CDT |
| North America | New York, US / Toronto, Canada | 07:00 EDT |
| South America | São Paulo, Brazil / Buenos Aires, Argentina | 08:00 |
| Asia | Baku, Azerbaijan / Dubai, UAE | 15:00 |
| Asia | Tashkent, Uzbekistan / Almaty, Kazakhstan | 16:00 |
| Asia | New Delhi, India | 16:30 IST |
| Asia | Bangkok, Thailand / Jakarta, Indonesia | 18:00 |
| Asia | Singapore / Hong Kong / Beijing, China | 19:00 |
| Asia | Tokyo, Japan / Seoul, South Korea | 20:00 |
F1 TV Pro and Premium will broadcast races live in supported countries, with onboard cameras and additional feeds. Availability varies by location, so check the country restrictions before subscribing.
First time watching? Read this: What changed in Formula 1 for 2026?
Three intrigues worth watching
- Can Antonelli limit the damage? During qualifying, the championship leader hit the Turn 1 barrier and will start 16th. His immediate challenge is getting through traffic while the front-runners aim for maximum points.
- Can anyone catch Russell? Charles Leclerc starts alongside him, with Oscar Piastri in third. Russell’s qualifying advantage over Leclerc was 0.837 seconds, which is significant over one lap but does not guarantee the same margin over the race distance.
- Can Hadjar keep Verstappen behind? Isack Hadjar returns after missing three races with a wrist injury and starts fourth, ahead of Max Verstappen in eighth. Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton occupy fifth and sixth.
Read more: Meet Mercedes’ W17, the car behind its 2026 campaign
Further back, Carlos Sainz drops to 14th after a five-place penalty for ignoring yellow flags. Sergio Perez remains 20th despite a three-place penalty, while both Aston Martins are also penalised. The starting grid therefore differs from the qualifying order.
