Baku's wildest decade: F1's most chaotic street circuit turns 10

Baku has delivered drama like no other circuit since F1 arrived in 2016. From Vettel's deliberate bump to Verstappen's high-speed tyre blowout, the streets of Azerbaijan have repeatedly rewritten race outcomes. This weekend's Grand Prix marks a decade of the unpredictable.

Why it matters:

Baku's combination of a 2.2km flat-out straight and unforgiving castle walls punishes the slightest mistake. The circuit has not only produced spectacular racing but also swung championship momentum, with title protagonists colliding, crashing, and suffering heartbreak on the same streets.

The details:

• 2017 – Vettel vs. Hamilton: Vettel tapped Hamilton behind the Safety Car, then pulled alongside and made contact in a fit of rage. He took a stop-go penalty, while Hamilton lost time with a loose headrest.
• 2017 – Ricciardo's triple pass: After a poor start, Ricciardo swept past Massa, Hulkenberg, and Stroll at the restart, eventually winning his first race of the season.
• 2018 – Red Bull's implosion: Ricciardo and Verstappen clashed while fighting for fourth, taking each other out and ending a race that was already fraught with tension.
• 2018 – Grosjean's self-sabotage: Under Safety Car, Grosjean accidentally hit a switch that locked his rear brakes, sending him into the wall. "I am stupid" would become Leclerc's famous radio message a year later.
• 2021 – Verstappen's blowout: Leading comfortably, Verstappen's tyre failed at high speed, slamming him into the wall. He walked away, but the lead vanished.
• 2021 – Hamilton's brake bias mistake: At the red-flag restart, Hamilton locked up and skated straight on, blaming a wrong brake bias setting. He went from second to last.
• 2024 – Perez and Sainz collide: An intense battle for second ended with both cars crashing into the wall on the penultimate lap.
• 2025 – Six red flags: Qualifying was interrupted six times as Albon, Hulkenberg, Colapinto, Bearman, Leclerc, and Piastri all hit the walls.

What's next:

This weekend, the drivers face the same brutal challenge. Charles Leclerc has taken four consecutive Baku poles but never converted one into victory. With the 2026 title fight still wide open, another chaotic chapter could be written – and the streets of Baku are more than ready.