News Summary
- The 2026 Azerbaijan GP takes place on Saturday, September 26
- Sunday is Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day, a national day of commemoration
- Practice moved to Thursday and qualifying to Friday as the entire schedule shifted forward
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is being held on Saturday, September 26, rather than Formula 1’s traditional Sunday slot, to avoid a clash with an important national day of commemoration.
Sunday, September 27, is Remembrance Day in Azerbaijan. At the request of the race promoter and government authorities, Formula 1 and the FIA agreed to move the Grand Prix—and every other track session—forward by 24 hours.
The race begins at 15:00 local time in Baku, corresponding to 12:00 in the United Kingdom, 07:00 Eastern Time in the United States, 16:30 in India and 21:00 in eastern Australia.
Why does Azerbaijan observe Remembrance Day?
September 27 marks the beginning of the 2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, a conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia that lasted until November 10.
Azerbaijan established Remembrance Day to honour the military personnel and civilians killed during the conflict. A nationwide minute of silence is traditionally observed at 12:00, with official ceremonies and visits to memorials taking place across the country.
Holding the Formula 1 race on the same day would have conflicted with those commemorations. The promoter and relevant government stakeholders consequently requested a date change.
The FIA initially announced the alteration in June 2025, confirming that the race would move from Sunday, September 27, to Saturday, September 26.
How did the Azerbaijan GP schedule change?
The entire weekend was brought forward by one day rather than compressing Formula 1’s programme.
| Session | Usual day | Azerbaijan GP 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Media activities | Thursday | Wednesday, September 23 |
| Free Practice 1 | Friday | Thursday, September 24 |
| Free Practice 2 | Friday | Thursday, September 24 |
| Free Practice 3 | Saturday | Friday, September 25 |
| Qualifying | Saturday | Friday, September 25 |
| Race | Sunday | Saturday, September 26 |
George Russell secured pole on Friday with a 1:42.526, beating Charles Leclerc by 0.837s. Oscar Piastri starts third, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli lines up 16th after crashing at Turn 1 during Q1.
The Grand Prix covers 51 laps and 306.049km of the Baku City Circuit. Formula 2’s second Feature Race remains scheduled as the principal support event before the F1 race.
Is the Azerbaijan GP a Sprint weekend?
No. The unusual schedule is unrelated to Formula 1’s Sprint format.
Baku is hosting a conventional Grand Prix weekend with three free-practice sessions, qualifying and the race. Each session has simply been staged one day earlier.
That distinction matters because a Sprint weekend would replace FP2 with Sprint qualifying and include a shorter Saturday race. Neither applies in Azerbaijan.
How unusual is a Saturday Formula 1 race?
The Azerbaijan GP is set to become the 63rd Formula 1 World Championship race held on a Saturday.
Saturday Grands Prix were considerably more common during the championship’s early decades, often because of local customs, religious considerations or event-specific scheduling. Sunday later became Formula 1’s standard race day.
Las Vegas revived the regular Saturday slot in 2023, although its late-night local start means the race takes place on Sunday for audiences across Europe.
Azerbaijan is different: it begins at 15:00 local time on Saturday, making it a genuine daytime Saturday Grand Prix in every major market. A historical breakdown is available in How many times has F1 raced on Saturday? Azerbaijan GP becomes the 63rd.
The 2026 calendar also includes the Las Vegas GP on Saturday, November 21, giving Formula 1 two officially scheduled Saturday races during the season.
Is the Azerbaijan GP permanently moving to Saturday?
No permanent change has been announced. The 2026 adjustment was made specifically to accommodate Remembrance Day falling on Sunday, September 27.
The date change followed a request from the Azerbaijan promoter and government stakeholders rather than a wider Formula 1 plan to move conventional Grands Prix away from Sundays.
The full international timetable is available in the Azerbaijan GP schedule and viewing guide.
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F1 today: FAQ
What time does the 2026 Azerbaijan GP start?
The race starts on Saturday, September 26, at 12:00 UK time. It begins at 07:00 ET and 04:00 PT in the US, 16:30 in India and 21:00 AEST in eastern Australia.
Who starts on pole for the Azerbaijan GP?
George Russell starts from pole for Mercedes, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Isack Hadjar qualified fourth, followed by Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?
The race was moved to Saturday because Sunday, September 27, is Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning. The entire F1 weekend was brought forward by one day.
Why is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday in 2026?
The race was moved forward to avoid a clash with Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day on Sunday, September 27.
What time does the Azerbaijan GP start?
The race starts at 15:00 in Baku and 12:00 in the United Kingdom on Saturday, September 26.
Is the Azerbaijan GP a Sprint race?
No. It is a conventional Grand Prix weekend, but every session has been moved forward by one day.
