Azerbaijan: The Baku Grand Prix
The Baku Grand Prix, held in the capital of Azerbaijan, is one of the most unique and thrilling races on the Formula 1 calendar. Set against the backdrop of the Caspian Sea, the Baku City Circuit combines a blend of old-world charm with cutting-edge modernity. The track itself is one of the longest in Formula 1 and features a mix of tight corners, long straights, and high-speed sections that make it a challenge for even the most skilled drivers.
Azerbaijan has never had a Formula 1 driver, and there is none in Formula 2 either. Baku’s crowd is built on the race itself rather than a local runner, which is part of why the castle section gets the reception it does.
On the gridNo Azerbaijani driver has a 2026 race seat
F2 this weekendYes, Formula 2 races here ā but no Azerbaijani is on the 2026 F2 grid
F1 AcademyNo ā F1 Academy runs six rounds in 2026 and does not support this Grand Prix
The circuit runs through the middle of Baku, so nearly every hotel here is inside or beside it. The seafront addresses are closest to the fast sections.
Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard
On the promenade with rooms over the Caspian, minutes from the circuit’s seafront section. Excellent pool and gym.
Central Square Hotel
The highest rated bed in the city, near 28 May metro and a fifteen minute walk to the old town. No lift, and staff who carry your bags anyway.
Fairmont Baku Flame Towers
Inside the Flame Towers themselves, high above the city with the best view in Baku. The walk down to the centre is long; take a taxi.
Holiday Inn Baku
Central, consistently well run and a short walk from the circuit’s northern loop. Reliable rather than exciting.
Radisson Hotel Baku
Central, with sea and Flame Tower views from the upper floors. Close to the old town and the boulevard.
ibis Baku City
Modern for an ibis, cheap and near the Heydar Aliyev Center. A short ride from the circuit and reliably clean.
Central Baku Hotel
Small and family-run, walking distance from Nizami Street and the old town. Generous breakfast, no lift.
Badamdar Hotel & Residence
A quiet residential hill above the city with balconies and a spa. Further out, and calmer for it.
Qafqaz Baku City Hotel
Large rooms and a panoramic restaurant on the eighteenth floor. Six kilometres out, so budget for taxis.
Almost all of this is in or around the old city, which the circuit wraps around. Prices are low by European standards even in race week.
Baqur Restaurant & Bazaar
Azerbaijani cooking in a room where everything, including the carpets, is for sale. Cheap, characterful, and the best rated table in the old city.
JazzBaku
Live music every night in the old city until one in the morning. Come for the room and the band as much as the food.
Terrace 145
A rooftop in the old city looking at the Maiden Tower, open around the clock. Best late, with tea and a shisha.
Qala Divari
Open twenty-four hours on the old city wall, with a terrace and proper dolma. Portions run small; order generously.
Restaurant Old Garden
A courtyard garden in the old city with strong vegetarian options and halal food. Open from nine in the morning.
Salam Baku
National cuisine with live music and views from the upper windows. The sac with lamb is the dish to order.
Kurban Said
Named for the novel set in this city, and worth it for the room alone. Pigeon cake, lamb pilaf and mulberry tea.
Old City
A relaxed spot inside the walls with quick service and good shashlik. Open every day until eleven.
Han Restaurant
Live music, a portrait artist and a children’s play area. Warm and busy; check what is charged before it arrives.
The old city, the seafront and the hill above it are all within a short walk of the track. Note that several museums close on Mondays.
Baku Boulevard
The seafront promenade the circuit runs alongside, clean, safe and open at all hours. Bicycles for hire the whole way.
Heydar Aliyev Center
Zaha Hadid’s curving white landmark, with a classic car museum inside that motorsport visitors tend to love. Closed Mondays.
Highland Park
The hill above the city beside the Flame Towers, and the best panorama of Baku. Free, and open at all hours.
Baku Panoramic View
The viewing terrace at the top of the hill. Go after dark, when the Flame Towers light up above the skyline.
I Love Baku sign
The photograph everyone takes, on the lawns beside the Heydar Aliyev Center. Free and open at all hours.
Azerbaijan Carpet Museum
A building shaped like a rolled carpet, holding the history of the craft. Two hours, and closed Mondays.
Palace of the Shirvanshahs
The fifteenth-century seat of the Shirvanshahs inside the old city walls, and a UNESCO site. Heavily restored.
Baku Eye
A Ferris wheel on the seafront near Deniz Mall. Closes without warning in high wind, so treat it as a bonus.
Funicular
One manat up the hill to Highland Park, five minutes and wheelchair accessible. Closes for lunch and all day Monday.
Buy tickets
Baku sells grandstands and a general admission that covers several fan zones. The stands above the castle section, where the track squeezes between the old city walls, are the ones worth paying for.
Official ticketingGetting to the circuit
Walk. The track runs along the seafront boulevard and squeezes through the medieval old city, so from most central hotels the gates are a few minutes away. The metro is cheap and covers the rest of the city.
Road closures start days ahead and cut the centre in half, so check which side of the circuit your hotel sits on before booking. Crossing takes considerably longer than the map suggests.
The castle section is the reason to come
The narrowest point on the calendar runs between the walls of a UNESCO old city, at seven and a half metres wide. Standing near it is unlike anything else in Formula 1, and worth planning your seat around.
The 2.2 kilometre run down the seafront that follows is the fastest straight of the year, so a seat with a view of both ends earns its price.
Practicalities
Most visitors need a visa, and Azerbaijan runs a straightforward e-visa that is usually issued within a few days. Apply before you book flights rather than after.
The currency is the manat, cash is still useful in the old city, and taxis are cheap but agree the fare or use an app. English is limited outside hotels; Russian goes further.
Know before you go
Baku is a genuinely underrated city break and one of the cheapest rounds on the calendar once you have arrived. September weather is warm and dry, usually mid-twenties, with a wind off the Caspian that gives the place its name.
Visa rules, road closures and ticket structures change. Confirm on the official page above and with your embassy before booking.
