The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be run on Saturday 26 September, a day earlier than any other race on the calendar, and the whole weekend moves with it. Practice starts on Thursday, qualifying is on Friday and the race starts at midday UK time on Saturday. If you were planning to watch on Sunday, you will have missed it. Here is why the schedule is different, and exactly when each session takes place.
Why Saturday?
The change was made at the request of the race promoter and was built into the 2026 calendar when it was first published. Sunday 27 September is Remembrance Day in Azerbaijan, a national day of commemoration, and the organisers asked Formula 1 to avoid holding the Grand Prix on that date. Rather than move the race to a different weekend, which would have disrupted the run of flyaway rounds that follows, the sport shifted the entire event forward by 24 hours. It is a one-off for 2026 rather than a permanent change.
There is precedent. The Las Vegas Grand Prix runs on a Saturday night local time every year, and Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have both run Saturday races in the past to avoid clashing with Ramadan. What makes Baku unusual is that it is a daytime European-timezone race on a Saturday, which puts it up against domestic football and other weekend sport for UK viewers.
The full Azerbaijan GP schedule in UK time
| Day | Session | UK time |
|---|---|---|
| Thu 24 Sep | Practice 1 | 9:30am |
| Thu 24 Sep | Practice 2 | 1pm |
| Fri 25 Sep | Practice 3 | 9:30am |
| Fri 25 Sep | Qualifying | 1pm |
| Sat 26 Sep | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | 12 noon |
Media day, normally Thursday, moves to Wednesday. It is a standard weekend format, with no sprint. Our guide to watching F1 in the UK covers where each session is shown.
Does the early start change anything for the teams?
A little. Baku comes 13 days after Madrid rather than 14, and freight and personnel arrive a day earlier than usual, which matters for teams bringing upgrades. Williams is expected to introduce a significant package, with Juan Pablo Montoya tipping the team for a big step forward, and Charles Leclerc is set to take a grid penalty for a new Ferrari engine. Red Bull has said Isack Hadjar’s recovery from his wrist injury is on target, with Baku a possible return, as covered in our Hadjar injury explainer.
What to expect from the race
Baku is the calendar’s most reliable source of chaos: a 2.2km full-throttle straight, 90-degree corners between walls and a castle section 7.6 metres wide. After a processional Spanish Grand Prix, it is the circuit most likely to give the chasing pack what it needs. Kimi Antonelli leads the championship by 81 points and, as our title permutations guide explains, his job is simply to finish. Our full Baku City Circuit guide covers the layout, the history and how the 2026 cars will handle it.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on a Saturday?
Sunday 27 September is Remembrance Day in Azerbaijan, so the promoter asked for the race to be held a day earlier. The whole weekend shifts forward by 24 hours.
What time does the race start in the UK?
12 noon on Saturday 26 September.
When is qualifying?
Friday 25 September at 1pm UK time.
Is it a sprint weekend?
No. It is a standard format with three practice sessions.
