F2 Baku weekend gets supersized with extra feature race for 2026 Azerbaijan GP

The Formula 2 championship rolls into Baku for round 12, but this weekend is far from typical. The entire event has been moved forward one day, and a third race has been added, turning the Azerbaijan round into a supersized fixture on the F2 calendar.

Why it matters:

The schedule shift is a direct response to Azerbaijan's Day of Remembrance on September 27, a national holiday that forces the Grand Prix weekend to start a day earlier. More significantly, with rounds 13 and 14 in Qatar and Abu Dhabi still surrounded by uncertainty, the extra feature race in Baku gives drivers a valuable opportunity to score points and keep their championship campaigns on track. Every point could be crucial if those later rounds are lost.

The Details:

• Practice and Qualifying will take place on Thursday, followed by the Sprint Race on Friday and two Feature Races on Saturday.
• Two 20-minute qualifying sessions will run back-to-back, with each awarding two points to the pole-sitter.
• Qualifying Session 1 sets the grid for the Sprint and Feature Race 1. The Sprint uses a partially reversed grid, as is standard for F2.
• Qualifying Session 2 decides the grid for Feature Race 2, which will be run to the normal points breakdown.
• The three races will maintain the usual lengths and timings for a standard F2 weekend, so drivers will face a familiar workload despite the compressed schedule.
• Baku is three hours ahead of British Summer Time and two hours ahead of most of mainland Europe, so European fans will need to adjust their viewing plans.

What's next:

The expanded Baku weekend adds a layer of strategic intrigue to a round that already promises intense street-fighting action. With the championship's final rounds still in doubt, the extra points on offer here could shape the title battle. The condensed timetable also rewards adaptability, making this a weekend where both raw pace and smart management will be at a premium.