Why The F1 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Will Be Held On A Saturday And Not On A Sunday

For the first time in Baku's history on the F1 calendar, race day will be on a Saturday. The FIA originally slated the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Sunday, September 27, 2026. This changed after the Azerbaijan government and other stakeholders requested to shift the schedule to one day prior, as per F1's official statement.

Why Is Azerbaijan Grand Prix Held On A Saturday?

September 27 is Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning for soldiers killed during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020, also known as the Patriotic War. The 44-day conflict, fought over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, ended in an Azerbaijani victory and claimed 2,783 soldiers, according to the Azerbaijan government. Keeping in mind the significance of the occasion, the date was changed to September 26.

The new schedule for the weekend will span Wednesday to Saturday instead of the usual Thursday to Sunday. Media day and the pit lane walk start on Wednesday, September 23, with two practice sessions on Thursday, September 24. The final practice and qualifying will be held on Friday, September 25, and the Grand Prix will be held on Saturday, September 26, with lights out at 3:00pm local time. This makes Baku one of two Saturday races on the 2026 calendar, alongside Las Vegas.

Saturday Races Used To Be More Common

Sunday race day feels like gospel now, but it wasn't always the rule. The very first world championship race, the 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, ran on a Saturday, and the British GP kept that slot every year until 1975.

Saturday racing faded as the sport matured. The 1985 South African Grand Prix was the last non-Sunday points race for nearly four decades, until Las Vegas returned to the calendar in 2023 and brought Saturday nights back with it (getting Las Vegas to sit still for a Sunday is a feat anyway). Bahrain and Saudi Arabia followed in 2024, moving their races to Saturday to avoid clashing with the start of Ramadan.

What To Expect Next Week

Kimi Antonelli will come in Azerbaijan fresh off a win at Madrid's Madring circuit, having taken the chequered flag in the Spanish Grand Prix and stretched his championship lead even further over Mercedes teammate George Russell.

Baku's street circuit rewards nobody's comfort. At 6.003 kilometres, it's the fourth-longest track on the calendar behind Jeddah, Spa-Francorchamps and Las Vegas. No other circuit demands more gear changes per lap: a full 71 of them. The castle section's blind, 90-degree corner and the kilometre-long back straight have swallowed championship contenders before, and Safety Cars show up here more often. So even if it's for one match, it would do you well to clear your schedule in advance for an interesting race week.