The Azerbaijan Grand Prix starts the most demanding stretch of the season: three races in three weekends, from Baku to Sepang to Singapore, with the championship leader 81 points clear and everyone behind him out of time. It is also the tenth anniversary of Formula 1 in Baku, a circuit that has produced chaos in almost every one of those years. The race is on Saturday, not Sunday, starting at 12 noon UK time. These are the stories to watch.

1. Hadjar’s comeback, with a contract in his pocket

Isack Hadjar returns after missing three races with a fractured wrist, and he does so with his 2027 seat already confirmed, as we reported this morning in Red Bull keeps Hadjar for 2027. Baku is a hard place to test a healing wrist, with two of the heaviest braking zones of the year and walls on every exit. Liam Lawson returns to Racing Bulls, where he will be driving to keep his own seat.

2. Williams’ lighter car

Williams has held back its major upgrade until now, and it arrives in Baku with a new, lighter chassis. Excess weight has been one of the team’s biggest problems in a season where it sits ninth with 11 points, 59 fewer than at this stage last year. James Vowles says the manufacturing innovation behind the new chassis will shape the team “for the next five years”. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon should find out quickly whether the step is large enough to put them back into the fight with Haas and Audi.

3. McLaren’s four-way fight

McLaren is bringing more upgrades and has predicted a four-way battle for victory between itself, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. After Madrid, where Lando Norris lost a race he controlled to a virtual safety car, the reigning champion has something to prove, and McLaren has asked both drivers to execute three “essentials” cleanly this weekend. Baku’s straights favour efficient cars with low drag. That has not always been McLaren’s strength in 2026.

4. Mercedes waits, Ferrari starts from behind

Mercedes is holding its next upgrade for Malaysia, with the aim of ending what it calls a pole drought, and Baku’s long straight still flatters its engine more than any other circuit on the calendar, as we explained in why Mercedes is so fast. Ferrari faces a harder weekend. Charles Leclerc takes a grid penalty for a new power unit, and Lewis Hamilton arrives after a Madrid brake failure and a week spent denying Italian reports about his relationship with the team. Ferrari has said it will not switch focus to 2027 yet. A Baku result would help that case.

5. The midfield wildcards

Sergio Pérez has won in Baku twice, in 2021 and 2023, and Cadillac arrives there still looking for its first point. RacingNews365 has called it the team’s best shot all season. Pierre Gasly has ruled out a repeat of his Monza pole, even though Alpine’s car is set up much as it was in Italy, and he spent the week speaking out against abuse aimed at his family after the Madrid incident with team-mate Franco Colapinto. Esteban Ocon has described himself as a free agent for 2027, with Haas in the final stages of its driver evaluation.

The championship picture

Kimi Antonelli leads on 292 points to George Russell’s 211, with Hamilton on 191 and Norris on 186. Russell has admitted he is realistically out of the fight. Antonelli’s task, as our title permutations guide sets out, is to finish races, and Baku is the calendar’s best circuit for failing to do that. Our full Baku City Circuit guide covers the layout, and why the race is on a Saturday has the full schedule in UK time: practice on Thursday, qualifying at 1pm Friday, and the race at 12 noon on Saturday.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Saturday 26 September at 12 noon UK time, with qualifying on Friday at 1pm.

Is Isack Hadjar racing in Baku?

Yes. He has been cleared to return after a fractured wrist, and Red Bull has confirmed him for 2027.

Which teams have upgrades in Baku?

Williams brings a major package built around a lighter chassis, and McLaren has confirmed further upgrades. Mercedes is waiting until Malaysia.

Who has won the most races in Baku?

Sergio Pérez, with wins in 2021 and 2023. He now drives for Cadillac.