After the rather slow and dull race through the city state of Monaco, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku is a much more spectacular Formula 1 race.
Although the race will once again be held on a street circuit through the capital city of Baku, the track has very little to do with the one in Monaco. Instead, it will be an event full of top speed and overtaking manoeuvres.
The Baku GP 2022 starts on Sunday 12 June at 13:00.
Here is all the information on the Baku GP in Azerbaijan – the schedule with qualifying and race, the TV broadcast on Sky, the street circuit with the most important passages as well as the favourites with betting odds.
Formula 1 GP Baku: Broadcast & Schedule
Table of Contents
Date, time, broadcast – when is the Azerbaijan Formula 1 GP?
The eighth and next Formula 1 race this season will take place on the temporary street circuit of Baku.
The Formula 1 GP of Azerbaijan will start on 12 June 2022. A race was held here for the first time in 2016, followed by four more Grand Prix’ since then.
The start time for the Baku GP is on Sunday (12 June) at 13:00 German time.
The race weekend begins for the Formula 1 drivers on Friday, 10 June. The first two free practice sessions are on the Baku 2022 schedule at 13:00 and 16:00.
On Saturday, the third free practice session will follow at 13:00, before qualifying will determine the grid for the Azerbaijan GP at 16:00.
Azerbaijan GP 2022: Dates & Schedule
Who will broadcast the Formula 1 Baku GP in Germany?
In Germany, the Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP will be broadcast on TV exclusively by Sky Sport F1.
Sky will not only show all three practice sessions live, but of course also qualifying and the race. In addition, the channel will broadcast preliminary reports, analyses, interviews and the press conference.
A live stream of the programme is available via Sky Ticket or Sky Go. Here you can also watch all the sessions as on TV in the Formula 1 Livestream.
There is no free-TV broadcast of the Formula 1 Baku Grand Prix in Germany. The next RTL race will take place in Silverstone at the beginning of July.
Who is Sky F1 commentator in Baku?
Sky is once again fielding its tried and tested team for the Formula 1 broadcast in Baku.
That means in a nutshell: Sascha Roos is in the commentator’s seat, while Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock will be in the Formula 1 Azerbaijan broadcast as experts.
Also in the Sky team for the broadcast from Baku are presenter Peter Hardenacke and reporter Sandra Baumgartner, who can be seen in the pit lane and mixed zone for background reports and interviews.
The F1 Baku GP track
The Formula 1 GP of Azerbaijan will be held at the Baku City Circuit.
Like Monaco, the circuit is specially prepared for the F1 Grand Prix and is otherwise used by regular road traffic. Facilities such as a pit lane or medical centre exist only for the races.
Since the street circuit is located in the middle of the city centre, it passes all the important buildings of Azerbaijan’s capital. This applies, for example, to the Maiden’s Tower, the waterfront promenade and the seat of government that follows it.
The most striking parts of the track are probably curve 8 as well as the passage after curve 16. In curve 8 it becomes extremely narrow and the track has a width of just 7.6 metres.
After turn 16 comes the start-finish straight. This is a DRS-fest, as it is a full two kilometres long. In total, there are twelve left-hand and eight right-hand corners on the Baku GP circuit.
The long straight, however, is not only a favourite. Former world champion Nico Rosberg, for example, criticises the passage as “scary” and claims that it is “ridiculously wrong” that this spot is allowed to exist at all.
The 6.003-kilometre track layout was penned by German designer Hermann Tilke – how could it be otherwise in today’s Formula 1? In 2014, the course was presented for the first time.
The first Formula 1 race was held in Baku in 2016, when Nico Rosberg won. He was followed by Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas. The race in 2021 was won by Sergio Perez.
The last 5 Baku GP races
Who is favourite for the Formula 1 GP Baku 2022?
Who will win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022?
Based on recent results, there is a lot to be said for Max Verstappen going into the race at the Formula 1 GP Baku as the top favourite. The Red Bull has been the much stronger car compared to the Ferrari recently.
The reigning world champion has won three of the last four races and is therefore now clearly in the lead in the world championship standings.
Another candidate for victory, according to bookmaker odds, is Ferrari star Charles Leclerc. He is supposed to be the strongest Ferrari driver, but was let down strategically by his team in Monaco.
However, Verstappen’s team-mate Sergio Perez is now also doing well in the Baku GP betting odds. Not only did he win the Azerbaijan race last year, but also the last Grand Prix in Monaco.
The Mexican’s high level of sovereignty impressed many experts – and apparently also the bookmakers. Likewise, Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz has also moved closer to the top.
Apart from the four drivers mentioned, no one in the field has a realistic chance of winning. Not even the two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. They have been able to score good points every now and then lately, but they are far away from the top.
The same applies even more to all the other teams, such as those of Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) and Mick Schumacher (Haas). The latter is already being criticised for his results crisis.
