Why the 2026 Azerbaijan GP is moving to Saturday

The 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, September 26, instead of its traditional Sunday slot, following a formal request from the Azerbaijan promoter and government stakeholders. The move ensures the race doesn't clash with Azerbaijan Remembrance Day, a national day of mourning held annually on September 27.

Why it matters:

Azerbaijan Remembrance Day honors the 2,783 soldiers who died during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which began on September 27, 2020. Holding the grand prix on that date would have been inappropriate, so the entire weekend shifts forward: media day moves to Wednesday, FP1 and FP2 to Thursday, FP3 and qualifying to Friday, and the 51-lap race itself to Saturday.

The details:

• Historical precedent: Saturday races aren't unprecedented in F1. The British Grand Prix was held on Saturdays every year from 1950 to 1975, and the Indianapolis 500 — technically on the calendar from 1950 to 1960 — traditionally raced on May 30 unless that date fell on a Sunday.
• Modern shift: The 1985 South African GP was the last non-Sunday race until Las Vegas returned in 2023, hosting its race on Saturday each year since. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also moved to Saturdays in 2024 due to Ramadan.
• Baku's unique weekend: The compressed schedule means teams face a shorter turnaround between sessions, adding another variable to a challenging street circuit.

The big picture:

Kimi Antonelli leads the drivers' standings with 292 points after winning the Spanish Grand Prix, with Mercedes teammate George Russell 81 points behind. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton sits third, 101 points adrift. The Baku round kicks off a series of Asian and American flyaway races that will shape the championship's final stretch.

What's next:

With 14 of 23 rounds complete, the Azerbaijan GP marks the start of the season's decisive phase. The Saturday format will test how quickly teams adapt under an unusual schedule as the title fight intensifies.