News Summary
- Formula 1 has held 62 World Championship races on Saturdays since the championship began in 1950.
- The 2026 Azerbaijan GP will become the 63rd, excluding Sprint races from the calculation.
- The British GP accounts for 30 Saturday races, while South Africa held another 18.
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place on Saturday rather than Formula 1’s traditional Sunday race day. Unusual as the arrangement appears today, the championship has a long history of racing one day earlier.
According to the official F1 results archive, 62 events counting towards the Drivers’ World Championship have already been held on a Saturday. The Azerbaijan GP on September 26 will become the 63rd.
That figure includes the 1953 and 1959 Indianapolis 500, which counted towards the World Championship but was not held under Formula 1 technical regulations. Removing those two races produces a total of 60 conventional F1 Grands Prix before Baku — or 61 including the 2026 Azerbaijan GP.
Sprint events have not been included because they are separate short-form races and do not constitute the main Grand Prix.
Every F1 event to hold a Saturday race
| Grand Prix | Saturday races |
|---|---|
| British GP | 30 |
| South African GP | 18 |
| Las Vegas GP | 3 |
| Indianapolis 500 | 2 |
| Dutch GP | 2 |
| Caesars Palace GP — Las Vegas | 2 |
| United States GP — Sebring | 1 |
| Canadian GP | 1 |
| Swedish GP | 1 |
| Bahrain GP | 1 |
| Saudi Arabian GP | 1 |
| Total completed before Baku 2026 | 62 |
F1’s first race was held on a Saturday
The first World Championship Formula 1 race was the 1950 British GP at Silverstone, held on Saturday, May 13.
Giuseppe Farina won for Alfa Romeo ahead of team-mates Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell, beginning a championship that has subsequently expanded to more than 1,150 races.
Britain retained Saturday as its normal race day throughout the first decades of the championship. Every British GP between 1950 and 1975 was held on a Saturday, with the event returning to that day in 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1983.
That gives the British GP a record 30 Saturday races, almost half of the championship’s historical total.
The calendar operated differently during that period. There was no expectation that every Grand Prix needed to follow the modern Friday-to-Sunday programme, while local traditions, circuit access and national holidays often influenced the schedule.
South Africa created F1’s other Saturday tradition
The South African GP accounts for another 18 Saturday races, beginning with the 1962 championship decider at East London.
Kyalami subsequently became closely associated with Saturday racing. The South African GP was held on that day every year from 1969 to 1980, before returning to Saturday in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985.
The 1985 race was won by Nigel Mansell for Williams. It then became the final Saturday Grand Prix for 38 years, as Sunday gradually established itself as Formula 1’s permanent race day.
Other events occasionally used Saturdays during the earlier period. The Dutch GP did so in 1969 and 1982, while Canada raced on Saturday in 1969 and Sweden in 1978.
The Caesars Palace GP, held in the car park of the Las Vegas casino, also took place on Saturdays in 1981 and 1982.
Why Indianapolis affects the final number
The Indianapolis 500 formed part of the World Championship between 1950 and 1960, even though the event used different cars, regulations and competitors from the European Formula 1 season.
Its traditional date was May 30, regardless of the day of the week. Consequently, the 1953 and 1959 editions fell on Saturdays.
Both races appear in the official World Championship archive and are therefore included in the total of 62. However, audiences looking specifically for Formula 1-regulation Grands Prix may prefer to remove them, reducing the pre-Baku number to 60.
The same distinction applies to historical statistics involving starts, victories and championship events from F1’s first decade.
Las Vegas returned F1 to Saturday in 2023
Formula 1 did not hold another Saturday Grand Prix after South Africa 1985 until the championship returned to Las Vegas in 2023.
The race begins late on Saturday night locally, allowing the illuminated Strip to provide the backdrop while also accommodating road closures and the event’s entertainment programme. For much of the international audience, however, the Grand Prix is already watched on Sunday because of the time difference.
Las Vegas retained its Saturday-night slot in 2024 and 2025, taking its modern total to three.
The 2024 season also opened with consecutive Saturday races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Both events were brought forward to accommodate the beginning of Ramadan, producing the only modern F1 season to start with two Saturday Grands Prix.
Why is the 2026 Azerbaijan GP on Saturday?
Baku’s change has a different explanation from Las Vegas or the Middle Eastern races.
The Grand Prix was originally scheduled for Sunday, September 27, but that date is Azerbaijan’s Memorial Day, a national day of mourning connected to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Following a request from the promoter and Azerbaijani authorities, Formula 1 and the FIA moved the complete weekend forward by 24 hours. As GRANDE PRÊMIO previously explained, practice will begin on Thursday, qualifying will be held on Friday and the race will start on Saturday.
The Azerbaijan GP therefore becomes the 63rd World Championship event held on a Saturday, or the 61st when the two Indianapolis 500 editions are excluded.
Baku will not be the final Saturday race of the year. Las Vegas is scheduled to retain its Saturday-night format in November, meaning the 2026 season should finish with 64 Saturday World Championship races in F1 history.
The complete Azerbaijan GP schedule and international start times place FP1 at 09:30 UK and 04:30 ET on Thursday. The Grand Prix begins at 12:00 UK and 07:00 ET on Saturday.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?
The race starts on Saturday at 12:00 UK, 07:00 ET and 15:00 local time in Baku. Qualifying begins on Friday at 13:00 UK and 08:00 ET.
Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?
The race was moved forward because Sunday, 27 September, is Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day. The full weekend shifted, with practice on Thursday and qualifying on Friday.
Can Kimi Antonelli win the 2026 F1 championship in Baku?
No. Antonelli leads George Russell by 81 points, but cannot secure the title in Azerbaijan. Singapore is his earliest mathematical opportunity.
How many Formula 1 races have been held on Saturday?
Formula 1 has held 62 World Championship events on Saturdays before the 2026 Azerbaijan GP. Baku will become the 63rd.
