Baku City Circuit

Baku is a study in contrasts. One part of the lap is among the longest flat-out stretches anywhere, a vast run where slipstreaming and top speed dominate; another squeezes through a narrow, twisting section beneath the old castle walls, barely wide enough for a single car. Setting the car up for one end of that trade-off compromises the other, which keeps the racing unpredictable and the qualifying order hard to call.

The circuit runs along the Caspian seafront and through the historic heart of the Azerbaijan capital. High speeds beside unforgiving walls, combined with that awkward balance of straights and tight corners, make it a regular source of late drama and unexpected results.