Why F1’s Azerbaijan GP will take place on Saturday

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Formula 1 will swap its familiar Sunday slot for a Saturday finish in Baku this weekend, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix scheduled for September 26 rather than Sunday, September 27.

The unusual change is not a sporting experiment or a response to the championship’s packed schedule. It is a matter of respect for Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day, observed every September 27.

The national day commemorates those who died during the 2020 war that began on September 27. Azerbaijan officially designated the date as Remembrance Day in December 2020.

Formula 1 arranged its Baku weekend around the commemoration following a request from the Azerbaijan promoter and relevant government stakeholders.

A whole race weekend shifted forward

This is more than simply moving the race back 24 hours. The entire F1 timetable has been pulled forward: media duties begin on Wednesday, practice runs on Thursday, and Friday contains final practice and qualifying. The 51-lap Grand Prix then takes centre stage at 3pm local time on Saturday.

The result is an F1 weekend that feels slightly out of step with the championship’s usual rhythm, but Saturday racing is hardly without precedent.

Las Vegas has raced on Saturday night since its return to the calendar in 2023, while Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also held Saturday Grands Prix in 2024 because their events were moved to accommodate Ramadan.

Baku’s switch, however, is driven by a very different consideration, as stated above.

As for F1’s title fight, championship leader Kimi Antonelli arrives in Azerbaijan leading Mercedes team-mate George Russell by 81 points, with Lewis Hamilton 101 points adrift and Lando Norris just five points behind the Ferrari driver.

Read also: Formula 1 unveils 2027 calendar, and Monaco GP Sprint event

And after Baku, there will be no pause: Malaysia and Singapore follow on consecutive weekends, launching F1 into another demanding stretch of the 2026 campaign.

For one weekend, though, the calendar will march to Baku’s timetable – and Sunday will have to wait.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.