From the World Cup to a car park: F1's most memorable Saturday grands prix

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will run on Saturday, September 26, with the weekend moved up a day. September 27 is Azerbaijan's national day of remembrance for those killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh war, so F1 and the FIA agreed to the promoter's request. Saturday races are rare but not new — 61 grands prix have been held on Saturdays, starting at Silverstone in 1950.

Why it matters:

The Baku move is more than a scheduling quirk. It reflects F1's willingness to adapt to local customs — and connects to a history of Saturday races that produced title deciders in a Las Vegas car park.

The details:

• Silverstone set the template: Britain observed Sunday as a rest day, so the British GP regularly ran on Saturdays through 1985.
• South Africa made it a habit: The South African GP was held on Saturdays 18 times, with occasional Monday and Friday exceptions due to New Year's Day.
• A car park decided titles: The 1981 and '82 Caesars Palace GPs used a temporary circuit in a Las Vegas hotel parking lot, with the Saturday slot keeping the lot free for casino guests. Nelson Piquet clinched the title in '81; Keke Rosberg needed only fifth in '82.
• Football and Ramadan: The 1978 Swedish GP moved to avoid a World Cup clash and became famous for the Brabham "fan car" victory. In 2024, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia did the same for Ramadan.

What's next:

Baku now joins that list, this time for remembrance. Las Vegas has run on Saturday nights since 2023. If the title race is close, Vegas could add a third Saturday title decider on U.S. soil.