Mercedes-Benz Group AG

09/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/15/2025 04:34

2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Preview

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is round 17 of F1 2025, and signals the start of eight flyaway races to close out the season.

Toto Talks Azerbaijan

With the 'European' part of the year now complete, we begin the final third of the season this weekend. It will be an intense run to the flag in Abu Dhabi, with three teams in the fight for second in the Constructors' Championship. We lost some ground to our competitors in Monza and know we need to perform better in the closing eight races than we did in Italy if we are to come out on top.

The 'flyaway' races start with two street circuits. First up is Azerbaijan before we then head to Singapore in two weeks' time. The track in Baku is a challenging mix of high-speed straights, 90-degree corners and the tight, twisty castle section. It is a good test for both the car and the driver. The grid is tight and once again small margins will make a big difference; if we deliver in the way we know we can, then we can be hopeful of a strong weekend fighting near the front of the field.

Fact File: Azerbaijan Grand Prix

  • The Baku City Circuit is the fourth longest on the F1 calendar this year - only Spa, Las Vegas and Jeddah are longer.
  • A lap of the track sees drivers change gear 71 times, more than at any other circuit on the 2025 calendar.
  • The Baku City Circuit also ranks highest in terms of braking energy. The layout is one of two tracks on the 2025 calendar has more braking zones of over 2G. Singapore is the other.
  • The section from the exit at Turn 16 to the braking zone for Turn 1 is the longest full-throttle passage of the year. It is around 200 metres longer than the segment from Turns 1 to 5 at Spa-Francorchamps.
  • The 2.2 km start/finish straight therefore contributes to a difficult restart for the leader, with a strong tow for the driver behind leaving them vulnerable into Turn 1.
  • At just 89.5m, the run down from pole position to the first braking point is the shortest on the entire 2025 calendar.
  • Baku has the second-highest number of turns on the F1 2025 calendar, with 20 - a figure it shares with COTA in Austin. Jeddah in Saudi Arabia has the most with 27.
  • The name Baku derives from the shortened Persian name Bad-kuye, meaning "wind city", along with Bad-kube, which means "wind-hitting." Both terms refer to the famously consistently strong winds that blow through the city.
  • Baku hosted an F1 Sprint weekend for the one and only time to date in 2023.
  • In 2024, the event moved dates to September for the first time, having previously taken place in the first half of the season (April or May).
  • F1 first visited Baku in 2016, when the race was known as the European Grand Prix. It has been known as the Azerbaijan Grand Prix every year since.
  • The team has recorded three wins in Baku with three different drivers - Nico Rosberg (2016), Lewis Hamilton (2018), and Valtteri Bottas (2019).
  • George has also triumphed in Baku, winning the F2 Sprint race in 2018.
  • Baku is one four tracks where George has scored multiple podiums (2022 & 2024). The others are Montreal, Barcelona, and Budapest.
  • Test and Reserve Driver Fred Vesti claimed his maiden F2 victory in Baku in the 2022 Sprint race.

Stat Sheet: Azerbaijan Grand Prix

2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Session

Local Time (AZT)

Brackley (BST)

Stuttgart (CEST)

Practice One - Friday

12:30 - 13:30

09:30 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:30

Practice Two - Friday

16:00 - 17:00

13:00 - 14:00

14:00 - 15:00

Practice Three - Saturday

12:30 - 13:30

09:30 - 10:30

10:30 - 11:30

Qualifying - Saturday

16:00 - 17:00

13:00 - 14:00

14:00 - 15:00

Grand Prix - Sunday

15:00

12:00

13:00

Race Records - Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team in Azerbaijan

Starts

Wins

Podiums

Pole Positions

Front row places

Fastest laps

DNF

Mercedes

7

2

6

2

6

2

1

George Russell

5

0

2

0

0

1

1

Kimi Antonelli

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

MB Power

7

3

10

2

7

3

9

Technical Stats - Season to Date (Pre-season Testing to Present)

Laps Completed

Distance Covered (km)

Corners Taken

Gear Changes

PETRONAS Fuel Injections

Mercedes

4,945

25,171

80,275

239,638

197,920,000

George Russell

2,556

13,004

41,332

122,947

102,360,000

Kimi Antonelli

2,363

12,026

38,553

114,767

94,520,000

MB Power

19,445

98,584

315,020

931,305

775,720,000

Mercedes-Benz in Formula One

Starts

Wins

Podium Places

Pole Positions

Front Row Places

Fastest Laps

1-2 Finishes

Front-Row Lockouts

Mercedes (all-time)

333

130

305

142

267

112

60

84

Mercedes (since 2010)

321

121

288

136

247

103

55

80

George Russell

144

4

21

6

16

10

N/A

N/A

Kimi Antonelli

16

0

1

0

0

2

N/A

N/A

MB Power

603

236

650

244

494

236

103

130

Mercedes-Benz Group AG published this content on September 15, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 15, 2025 at 10:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]