Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Two weeks after the conclusion of the European leg of the Formula 1 World Championship in Madrid, the series heads to Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The 51-lap race will unusually take place on Saturday, after the event was moved forward by one day at the request of the local promoter and government stakeholders to accommodate a national day. As a result, the entire race weekend will run from Thursday to Saturday. The street circuit features a flat-out run of over two kilometers and the narrow Old City section, where the track winds through Baku’s historic walls.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix marks the start of the next major phase of the 2026 season, which involves a series of races in different locations. After Baku, Formula 1 will travel to Sepang, Malaysia, for the Bahrain Grand Prix, followed one week later by the Singapore Grand Prix. Then, the championship moves through an Americas triple-header in Austin, Mexico City, and São Paulo, and concludes with races in Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.

Leaving Europe also changes the logistics mix. DHL increasingly uses a combination of air, sea, and road transport to move up to 1,200 tons of cars, equipment, spare parts, broadcast technology, and hospitality assets per race. DHL uses Sustainable Aviation Fuel for select air freight and operates a biofuel-powered European truck fleet. These efforts support Formula 1’s goal of reaching net zero by 2030.