2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP: Full SAST Schedule and Saturday Race Explained
The 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP brings Formula 1 to the streets of Baku this week for Round 15 of the championship, but South African fans need to pay particular attention to the schedule. This isn’t a conventional Friday-to-Sunday Formula 1 weekend.
Formula 1 Practice started on Thursday, qualifying takes place on Friday, and the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP race takes place on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
That means anyone planning to settle in for the usual Sunday afternoon Grand Prix will already have missed it.
With the first three practice sessions completed, Mercedes and Red Bull have already shown impressive pace around the challenging Baku City Circuit. Now attention turns to qualifying and Saturday’s 51-lap race.
2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP SAST Schedule
Fortunately for South African Formula 1 fans, the Baku schedule gives us some very comfortable viewing times.
Here is the complete 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP schedule in SAST:
| Session | Date | SAST |
|---|---|---|
| Practice 1 | Thursday, 24 September | 10:30–11:30 |
| Practice 2 | Thursday, 24 September | 14:00–15:00 |
| Practice 3 | Friday, 25 September | 10:30–11:30 |
| Qualifying | Friday, 25 September | 14:00–15:00 |
| Race | Saturday, 26 September | 13:00 |
Formula 1’s official timetable lists the Grand Prix for 15:00 local time in Baku on Saturday. With Baku four hours ahead of UTC and South Africa operating at UTC+2, that translates to a 13:00 SAST race start.
Why Is the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP on Saturday?
This is probably the biggest question surrounding the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP.
Formula 1 traditionally holds Grands Prix on Sundays, but the Azerbaijan race has been moved to Saturday, 26 September because Sunday, 27 September is Azerbaijan’s annual Remembrance Day.
The national day of mourning commemorates Azerbaijani military personnel who lost their lives during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which began on 27 September 2020.
Rather than stage a major international sporting event on the country’s day of remembrance, the Azerbaijan promoter and relevant government stakeholders requested that Formula 1 move the Grand Prix forward by one day. Formula 1 subsequently adjusted the entire race weekend.
As a result, FP1 and FP2 took place on Thursday instead of Friday. FP3 and qualifying moved to Friday, while the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP itself will take place on Saturday.
This isn’t a new permanent format for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The change is specifically connected to the 2026 calendar and Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day.
Russell Leads Both Thursday Practice Sessions
George Russell made an impressive start to the Baku weekend by putting his Mercedes at the top of both Thursday practice sessions.
Russell led FP1 ahead of Max Verstappen, while Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli suffered a hydraulic problem during the opening session.
Mercedes looked even stronger during FP2.
Russell once again topped the timesheets, but this time Antonelli recovered from his earlier troubles to finish second, producing a Mercedes 1–2. Verstappen remained firmly in the battle and completed the top three.
Those results gave Mercedes an encouraging start to the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP, but Red Bull wasn’t finished.
Verstappen Strikes Back in FP3
Max Verstappen responded during Friday morning’s final practice session.
The Red Bull driver topped FP3 ahead of Russell, but there was very little separating the pair. Verstappen’s advantage was only 0.099 seconds, suggesting that qualifying could produce another extremely close battle.
Lewis Hamilton completed the top three in FP3.
With Mercedes showing strong pace across all three sessions and Verstappen putting Red Bull back on top before qualifying, there is plenty still to play for around Baku.
The Challenge of the Baku City Circuit
Baku remains one of the most unusual circuits on the Formula 1 calendar.
The 6.003 km street circuit combines extremely tight sections through the historic city with one of the fastest and longest flat-out stretches in Formula 1. At the narrow Turn 8/9 Old Town complex, the circuit is only around 7.6 metres wide.
That combination creates an interesting compromise for teams.
Cars need enough downforce and mechanical grip to survive the slower corners, but excessive drag can leave drivers vulnerable along Baku’s enormous straights.
The walls are also never far away.
One small mistake during qualifying can therefore completely change a driver’s weekend, while Safety Cars and unpredictable strategy have often played important roles during races in Baku.
Don’t Wait Until Sunday for the Azerbaijan GP
For South African Formula 1 fans, the most important message this weekend is simple: don’t wait until Sunday.
Qualifying for the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP takes place at 14:00 SAST on Friday, 25 September, while the Grand Prix starts at 13:00 SAST on Saturday, 26 September.
Formula 1 has moved the complete weekend forward by one day to respect Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day on Sunday.
With Russell leading both Thursday sessions, Verstappen responding in FP3 and Mercedes and Red Bull appearing ready for another fight at the front, qualifying should give us our clearest indication yet of who has the advantage.
Then, one day earlier than usual, it’s lights out in Baku.
The 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP starts at 13:00 SAST on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
