2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Preview

Guide to 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix as McLaren seeks to wrap up the constructors’ title. 

Oscar Piastri comes into this race weekend with a 31-point championship lead over teammate and title rival, Lando Norris, but McLaren will have a chance to seal the constructors’ title with seven rounds to spare.

Now, here is a guide to everything that you need to know about 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

 

Track Guide

Laps: 51

Race Distance: 306.049km

Tyre Selection: C4, C5 & C6

 

Schedule

Date	Session	Time (BST)
Friday 19 September	FP1	9:30am
Friday 19 September	FP2	1:00pm
Saturday 20 September	FP3	9:30am
Saturday 20 September	Qualifying	1:00pm
Sunday 21 September	Grand Prix	12:00pm

 

Four Key Pointers 

• Baku City Circuit’s power-based first and third sectors means that maximum speed is important, yet traction is needed through a twisty second sector.
• Having dominated Jeddah and Miami which are similar circuits to Baku, McLaren will be favourites for victory if can find the right setup between corner grip and speed on the various straights.
• Such is the nature of the extensively long flat-out start-finish straight, nailing a tow will be key to maximising lap time in Qualifying.
• With the C6 tyre brought to this race and the risk of a late safety car, it will be interesting to see if any teams gamble on that tyre compound for a restart in an eventuality.

 

Last Time Out

Piastri took victory in F1’s last trip to Baku in 2024 with a crucial overtake on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on lap 20, although the race finished behind the safety car after Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz collided on the exit of turn 2 on the penultimate lap.

 

How can McLaren Win Constructors’ Title? 

With 346 points left on offer after the trip to Azerbaijan, McLaren currently hold a 337-point lead over second-placed Ferrari so here is how they can wrap up the title under the following scenarios;

• Outscore Ferrari by nine points.
• Avoid being outscored by Mercedes by 12 points.
• Avoid being outscored by Red Bull by 33 points.

 

2025 Season Recaps

• Australia
• Chinese Sprint
• Chinese GP
• Japan
• Bahrain
• Saudi Arabia
• Miami Sprint
• Miami GP
• Emilia Romagna
• Monaco
• Spain
• Canada
• Austria
• Great Britain
• Belgian Sprint
• Belgian GP
• Hungary
• Netherlands
• Italy