New to the Formula 1 calendar in 2016 was the European Grand Prix on the streets of the Azerbaijani capital Baku. Set on the shores of the Caspian Sea, architect Hermann Tilke designed a fast 20-corner, 3.7-mile circuit that carved its way between the town’s historic landmarks such as the imposing Maiden Tower. The wide boulevards include a main straight that is over 1.3 miles long and a western extent that circles Baku’s old town, the entry to which (Turns 8, 9 and 10) is just 7.6 meters wide. The race was renamed the Azerbaijan GP in 2017 and has held a championship round every year except 2020 when it was cancelled due to COVID-19. F1 is not the first international motor racing to visit the city for the Blancpain and FIA GT3 Championships both raced on temporary circuits in recent years.
