{"id":2847,"date":"2026-09-25T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=2847"},"modified":"2026-09-25T15:19:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T18:19:21","slug":"why-is-the-azerbaijan-gp-being-held-on-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/why-is-the-azerbaijan-gp-being-held-on-saturday\/","title":{"rendered":"Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The 2026 Azerbaijan GP takes place on Saturday, September 26<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sunday is Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day, a national day of commemoration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practice moved to Thursday and qualifying to Friday as the entire schedule shifted forward<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix is being held on <strong>Saturday, September 26<\/strong>, rather than Formula 1\u2019s traditional Sunday slot, to avoid a clash with an important national day of commemoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sunday, September 27, is <strong>Remembrance Day in Azerbaijan<\/strong>. At the request of the race promoter and government authorities, Formula 1 and the FIA agreed to move the Grand Prix\u2014and every other track session\u2014forward by 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race begins at <strong>15:00 local time in Baku<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why does Azerbaijan observe Remembrance Day?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">September 27 marks the beginning of the <strong>2020 Second Nagorno-Karabakh War<\/strong>, a conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia that lasted until November 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Azerbaijan established Remembrance Day to honour the military personnel and civilians killed during the conflict. A nationwide minute of silence is traditionally observed at <strong>12:00<\/strong>, with official ceremonies and visits to memorials taking place across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FIA initially announced the alteration in June 2025, confirming that the race would move from Sunday, September 27, to Saturday, September 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How did the Azerbaijan GP schedule change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The entire weekend was brought forward by one day rather than compressing Formula 1\u2019s programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Session<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Usual day<\/th><th class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Azerbaijan GP 2026<\/th><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Media activities<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Thursday<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Wednesday, September 23<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Free Practice 1<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Friday<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Thursday, September 24<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Free Practice 2<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Friday<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Thursday, September 24<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Free Practice 3<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Saturday<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Friday, September 25<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Qualifying<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Saturday<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Friday, September 25<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Race<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\">Sunday<\/td><td class=\"has-text-align-left\" data-align=\"left\"><strong>Saturday, September 26<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">George Russell secured pole on Friday with a <strong>1:42.526<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Grand Prix covers <strong>51 laps and 306.049km<\/strong> of the Baku City Circuit. Formula 2\u2019s second Feature Race remains scheduled as the principal support event before the F1 race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the Azerbaijan GP a Sprint weekend?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. The unusual schedule is unrelated to Formula 1\u2019s Sprint format.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That distinction matters because a Sprint weekend would replace FP2 with Sprint qualifying and include a shorter Saturday race. Neither applies in Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How unusual is a Saturday Formula 1 race?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Azerbaijan GP is set to become the <strong>63rd Formula 1 World Championship race held on a Saturday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saturday Grands Prix were considerably more common during the championship\u2019s early decades, often because of local customs, religious considerations or event-specific scheduling. Sunday later became Formula 1\u2019s standard race day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Azerbaijan is different: it begins at <strong>15:00 local time on Saturday<\/strong>, making it a genuine daytime Saturday Grand Prix in every major market. A historical breakdown is available in <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/how-many-times-has-f1-raced-on-saturday-azerbaijan-gp-becomes-the-63rd\/\">How many times has F1 raced on Saturday? Azerbaijan GP becomes the 63rd<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 2026 calendar also includes the Las Vegas GP on Saturday, November 21, giving Formula 1 two officially scheduled Saturday races during the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the Azerbaijan GP permanently moving to Saturday?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No permanent change has been announced. The 2026 adjustment was made specifically to accommodate Remembrance Day falling on Sunday, September 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The full international timetable is available in the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/azerbaijan-gp-2026-full-schedule-start-times-and-how-to-watch-every-session\/\">Azerbaijan GP schedule and viewing guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> follows the Azerbaijan GP <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">LIVE and in REAL TIME<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time does the 2026 Azerbaijan GP start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race starts on <strong>Saturday, September 26, at 12:00 UK time<\/strong>. It begins at 07:00 ET and 04:00 PT in the US, 16:30 in India and 21:00 AEST in eastern Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who starts on pole for the Azerbaijan GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is the Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race was moved to Saturday because Sunday, September 27, is Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning. The entire F1 weekend was brought forward by one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday in 2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race was moved forward to avoid a clash with Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day on Sunday, September 27.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time does the Azerbaijan GP start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race starts at <strong>15:00 in Baku and 12:00 in the United Kingdom<\/strong> on Saturday, September 26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the Azerbaijan GP a Sprint race?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. It is a conventional Grand Prix weekend, but every session has been moved forward by one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Formula 1 moved the entire Baku schedule forward by 24 hours to avoid a clash with Azerbaijan\u2019s Remembrance Day on Sunday, September 27<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020315945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"F1 2026, AZERBAIJ\u00c3O, TREINOS LIVRES, MERCEDES, GEORGE RUSSELL","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Alexander Seregin\/ASPPA Images Europe","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":7,"location":""}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[517,528,114,324],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-2847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-azerbaijan-gp","tag-baku","tag-f1-schedule","tag-formula-1","42wp_author-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2847"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2848,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2847\/revisions\/2848"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020315945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2847"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=2847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}