Amid political tensions, Azerbaijan commits to renewing its pivotal Formula 1 agreement, signaling a lasting presence in the global racing calendar.
Azerbaijan GP promoters are determined to remain on the F1 calendar beyond the current contract ending in 2026.
Flavio Briatore admitted during this weekend’s street race in Baku that he has been involved in the event since day one.
“About ten years ago, I discussed it with President Ilham Aliyev, who wanted to put the country on the map,” he said.
“Back then, nobody knew much about it, it started with few spectators but now it’s sold out, with fans coming from half the world.”
Indeed, millions around the globe now recognize this historic city, where medieval ruins blend with beautiful ancient architecture, Soviet-era buildings, and ultramodern skyline developments.
“All these styles tell the story of the city’s evolution,” said Arzu Huseynova, one of the local event promoters. “Baku honors its past, but also looks towards the future.”
“You can see this mix of old and new throughout the circuit.”
However, the Formula 1 event, which dates back to its first edition in 2016, is not without controversy.
Teams even had to operate without the official Formula 1 weather and radar service, Météo France, this weekend due to the French government’s stance against the ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Strict rules are also in place for the media and journalists present. A photographer found that the best spot to photograph the F1 cars was along the city’s 12th-century wall, which required accessing the roof of a restaurant.
But when he tried to take a photo from the other side of the city from that vantage point, he was told it was forbidden. Why? “Because those are the rules,” replied the restaurant employee.
Huseynova also declined to answer questions about the ongoing Armenian conflict, which has been raging since the late 80s in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“For Azerbaijan, the Grand Prix is an opportunity to show that we are capable of hosting major events,” Huseynova stated. “Since its first edition in 2016, the attention on our country has significantly increased.”
“It brings thousands of fans to the city and also creates many jobs.”
The current contract expires after 2026 and Huseynova stated that the intention was to keep Azerbaijan on the Formula 1 calendars in the future.
“Ongoing investments in infrastructure and entertainment are a signal that we want to enhance the event each year.”
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Baku’s F1 Future Secure Despite Contract End Baku’s F1 Future Secure Despite Contract End
