After almost a month’s break, the 2023 Formula 1 season in Azerbaijan continues with the Baku GP – and even with a new qualifying format.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, April 30. The start time for the race is at 13:00 German time. The broadcast will be live on Sky.
Here you can find all information about the Baku Grand Prix: The schedule with the three practice sessions, qualifying, the sprint race as well as the live broadcast on TV and stream, the track and the favorites for the GP victory.
Formula 1 GP Baku: schedule & broadcast
Table of Contents
Date & Time: When is the Baku Formula 1 GP 2023?
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the fourth race of this Formula 1 season 2023. Dangers will be directly in the capital Baku on the so-called Baku City Circuit.
The Baku GP will start on Sunday at 13:00 German time.
For the first time this season, a sprint race will take place, making the Baku GP schedule somewhat different from that of the three previous Grand Prix this season.
Baku GP Schedule & Dates
On Friday (28.4.) the GP weekend in Azerbaijan will start with the first free practice session at 11:30 am German time. Qualifying for Sunday’s race will follow immediately at 15:30.
Friday’s qualifying will follow the usual format, but will now determine the grid for Sunday’s race. In the past, on sprint weekends, qualifying had determined the starting order for the sprint race – the result of which in turn had determined the starting order for the classic race on Sunday.
At the Baku GP, however, there is now a change in the schedule: On Saturday, a new and thus second qualifying session will now take place in the morning. This is called the “Sprint Shootout” and determines the starting order for the sprint race in the afternoon (15:30 CEST).
The three sessions in the second qualifying session at the Baku GP are shorter than those for the GP on Sunday: first 12, then 10 and then 8 minutes.
Sunday’s Baku Grand Prix starts at 13:00 German time. With the starting order determined on Friday in the “original” qualifying session.
Formula 1 Baku GP coverage on TV and Livestream
In Germany, this year’s Formula 1 season will be broadcast live in its entirety on payTV channel Sky.
Sky will show the broadcast of the Baku GP live on Sunday, April 30 from 13:00 German time on the channel Sky Sport F1. The broadcast will begin at 11:30 a.m.
However, Sky will not only broadcast the Sunday Azerbaijan Grand Prix live on Sunday, but all sessions on this race weekend. This includes both qualifying sessions and the sprint race on Saturday afternoon.
The Baku sprint race will be broadcast on Sky at 14:45 on Saturday, 45 minutes before the start at 15:30.
For the broadcast of the Baku GP Sky will be on site with the well-known team: commentator Sascha Roos, the experts Ralf Schumacher and Timo Glock as well as reporter Sandra Baumgartner.
Baku GP Stream & Free-TV
Sky also offers a Baku GP Livestream as part of the broadcast of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. For Sky customers via Sky Go and for non-Sky customers via the streaming portal WOW with a “single ticket” .
There is, however, no broadcast of the Azerbaijan GP on free TV.
RTL has withdrawn from negotiations with Sky on sublicenses for selected races. The Baku Grand Prix will therefore be shown in Germany exclusively on Sky.
The track of the Azerbaijan Formula 1 GP
The Formula 1 GP of Azerbaijan will be run on 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 the pit lane or the medical center exist only for this race.
Since the 6.003-kilometer street circuit is located in the middle of the city center, 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.
Probably the most striking parts of the track are turn 8 and the passage after turn 16. It gets extremely narrow in turn 8 and the track is just 7.6 meters wide.
After turn 16 comes the start-finish straight. This is one big DRS festival, as it’s a full two kilometers long. In total, there are twelve left-hand and eight right-hand corners on the Baku GP circuit.
The first Formula 1 race was held in Baku in 2016, when Nico Rosberg won. He was followed by Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez. The 2022 race was won by Max Verstappen.
Preview & Favorites Check
Who will win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday?
Given the results and impressions from the first three races of the season so far, it’s clear that the role of favorite lies with Team Red Bull – and especially with Max Verstappen. A month’s break or not.
This is also shown by the forecasts and betting odds of online bookmaker Bet365. Here Verstappen, who also won in Baku last year, clearly leads the field.
There was a Red Bull one-two in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively. First Verstappen ahead of Perez, then Perez ahead of Verstappen. Most recently in Melbourne, Verstappen won ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
Fernando Alonso has finished third in all three GPs so far this season. Will the Spanish veteran’s podium streak continue in Baku?
However, according to the bookmakers’ forecasts, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez is considered the biggest opponent for victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday. The Mexican has already been able to win once in Baku, that was in 2021.
He has also been in a duel with Verstappen so far this season, so he could well be in contention for victory in Baku.
