Why the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will run on a Saturday in 2026

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be a Saturday race in the 2026 F1 season, moving a day forward to avoid a clash with the country's Remembrance Day. The entire weekend shifts: free practice 1 and 2 run on Thursday, FP3 and qualifying on Friday, and the 51-lap race starts at 3 p.m. local time (12 p.m. UK) on Saturday, Sept. 26.

Why it matters:

Azerbaijan's Remembrance Day on Sept. 27 commemorates the roughly 2,900 soldiers killed in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, which began on that date in 2020. With the national day falling on the original race date, promoters and government officials asked F1 to bring the Grand Prix forward – and the sport agreed. It's a rare instance of the calendar being reshaped for a host nation's historical event.

The details:

• Weekend schedule – Thursday: FP1 & FP2; Friday: FP3 & qualifying; Saturday: race at 15:00 local (12:00 UK).
• Saturday race precedent – Saturday GPs are rare but not unprecedented. The first F1 race at Silverstone in 1950 was held on a Saturday due to UK Sunday trading laws. Las Vegas has raced on Saturday nights since 2023, and the 2024 Bahrain and Saudi rounds moved for Ramadan.
• No format change – The weekend structure is identical, just compressed by 24 hours.

The big picture:

This is another example of F1 accommodating local cultural and religious considerations. While Sunday remains the traditional race day, Saturday slots have become a practical tool. For teams, it means arriving in Baku earlier; for viewers, it's a heads-up to change the usual Sunday viewing routine.

What's next:

Max Verstappen heads to Baku as the only driver with multiple Azerbaijan GP wins – he triumphed in 2022 and 2024 – and can become the first three-time winner. Sergio Perez, who won in 2021 and 2023 for Red Bull, is now racing for Cadillac. With practice starting Thursday and the race on Saturday, the weekend will fly by – so set those reminders.