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STORY · EMERGING
Formula 1’s 10th year of racing in Azerbaijan brings a one-off timetable change: the 2026 Grand Prix will take place on Saturday to accommodate the country’s Remembrance Day celebrations, with practice on Thursday and qualifying on Friday. The shift also opens the season’s first triple-header. Haas’s preview highlights the setup challenge at Baku: long straights and heavy braking zones meet blind corners and the narrow, uphill passage through the Old City. Team principal Ayao Komatsu says Haas wants to build on progress at Monza and Madrid, while Ollie Bearman points to the update introduced at Monza as an opportunity to push harder. Esteban Ocon likewise describes the team’s recent run as encouraging. Their immediate priority, Komatsu says, is a clean build through practice and giving the drivers confidence.
FULL BRIEF
Formula 1’s 10th year of racing in Azerbaijan brings a one-off timetable change: the 2026 Grand Prix will take place on Saturday to accommodate the country’s Remembrance Day celebrations, with practice on Thursday and qualifying on Friday. The shift also opens the season’s first triple-header. Haas’s preview highlights the setup challenge at Baku: long straights and heavy braking zones meet blind corners and the narrow, uphill passage through the Old City. Team principal Ayao Komatsu says Haas wants to build on progress at Monza and Madrid, while Ollie Bearman points to the update introduced at Monza as an opportunity to push harder. Esteban Ocon likewise describes the team’s recent run as encouraging. Their immediate priority, Komatsu says, is a clean build through practice and giving the drivers confidence.
KEY POINTS
WHAT CHANGED
For the first time in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix’s history, the race is scheduled for Saturday, with practice moved to Thursday and qualifying to Friday to accommodate Remembrance Day celebrations. The event also begins the 2026 season’s first triple-header. The anniversary of F1’s arrival in Azerbaijan dates back to the 2016 European Grand Prix; the more immediate change for this weekend is the altered schedule.
EVIDENCE TIMELINE