Preview: Alex heads back to Baku

Hear what Alex has to say as he heads to the streets of Azerbaijan.

Published

23 SEP 2026

Est. reading time

2 min

Formula 1 heads back to the streets of Baku this weekend for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Alex set for another challenge around the unique Baku City Circuit.

From its long main straight to the narrow streets of the old town, Baku offers a very different challenge to the rest of the calendar. With the first race of the triple header ahead, find out what Alex can expect across the three days of track action.

The format has also changed this year, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix running from Thursday through to Saturday rather than the usual Friday to Sunday schedule, bringing the weekend to a close one day earlier than usual.

His thoughts:

“We’re headed into a busy stretch of flyaway races now, beginning with Baku this weekend. It’s such a unique track, with a mix of super narrow and wide sections, plus two long straights, and a real combination of corners. It's a proper mix, and I enjoy that about it.

"We're bringing our first proper upgrade this weekend, so I'm looking forward to getting up to speed with the car and seeing what performance it gives us here. We have a big gap to close and it’s not going to happen overnight, but we're taking those steady steps back to where we want to be, and hopefully this weekend's another one of those steps."

The track:

The Baku City Circuit is a unique mix of long, high speed straights and tight, twisty sections through the city’s historic old town.

At 6.003km, it is one of the longest circuits on the F1 calendar, with the lengthy main straight along the Baku shoreline providing a good opportunity for overtaking. From there, the track winds its way through the narrow streets of Icheri Sheher, passing the city’s medieval walls.

Previous outings:

Alex has plenty of experience around the Baku City Circuit, having raced here on six occasions across his Formula 1 career.

His best result came in 2024, when he brought his Williams home in P7. He finished P13 in 2025, following P12 finishes in both 2022 and 2023.

The weather:

We’re set for three clear days on the banks of the Caspian Sea, but expect gusts in the City of Winds not that dissimilar to what we experienced in 2025.

Don’t forget to claim Alex’s latest Fan Passport stamp, with a new Albono arriving in time for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. You can add this week’s stamp to your collection via the link below.

Enjoy the Azerbaijan Grand Prix!