Azerbaijan GP Moves to Saturday
The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, September 26, instead of Formula 1's traditional Sunday race day.
The change was made following a request from the Azerbaijan promoter and government stakeholders because September 27 is Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning commemorating those killed during the 2020 conflict.
This isn't a Sprint weekend — the entire Grand Prix schedule has simply moved forward by one day.
F1 Weekend Starts on Thursday
Moving the race also means every major session takes place earlier than usual.
FP1 and FP2 will run on Thursday, September 24, followed by FP3 and qualifying on Friday. The 51-lap Azerbaijan Grand Prix then starts at 15:00 local time on Saturday.
That creates an unusual Thursday-to-Saturday Formula 1 weekend in Baku.
Saturday F1 Races Are Unusual, But Not Unprecedented
Sunday remains Formula 1's traditional race day, but Saturday Grands Prix have happened before.
Las Vegas has regularly used a Saturday-night race format since returning to the calendar, while the 2024 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were also held on Saturdays due to scheduling around Ramadan.
Baku's change is different because it specifically accommodates Azerbaijan's national commemorative day.
Baku Begins F1's Next Phase
The Azerbaijan GP will be Round 15 of the 2026 championship, following Kimi Antonelli's victory at the inaugural Madring Spanish Grand Prix.
For Winbox Racing, fans following Baku will need to remember one important change:
Thursday practice. Friday qualifying. Saturday race.
Formula 1 is racing one day earlier in Azerbaijan.
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