The Drive to Five:
The Home of the Street Fighters is Ready to Race!
Baku City Circuit completes preparations ahead of the return of Formula 1 this week
With just 1 day to go until the world’s greatest drivers return to Azerbaijan, Baku City Circuit (BCC) – Promoter of the 2021 FORMULA 1 AZERBAIJAN GRAND PRIX FIA – is delighted to confirm it has completed all preparations ahead of fifth F1 race this weekend in Baku. FIA Formula One Race Director & Safety Delegate, Michael Masi inspected the readiness of Baku City Circuit this morning before giving his seal of approval to the fastest street circuit in F1.
While this year’s race weekend will be staged behind closed doors – a decision taken in light of the ongoing concerns caused by the coronavirus pandemic – the level of work and effort required to stage such a major global sporting event has not slowed down.
Click here for up-to-date images of Baku City Circuit
Indeed, as a result of the increased health & safety protocols in the workplace enforced by the Covid-19 situation, the challenge for the Promoter of the wildest and most unpredictable street circuit in F1 has been greater than ever.
Over the past 4 months, the construction of the famous 20-Turn, 6.003km-long street track has been painstakingly carried out by BCC’s dedicated team of professionals to make it race-ready in time for F1’s arrival on the weekend of June 4th – 6th. In addition, all track facilities have been tailored to ensure that all BCC & F1 staff as well as teams, drivers and media can conduct their business in the safest possible environment.
With all this in mind, it is with great pride that BCC can today declare that Baku is ready to race!
The pinnacle of motorsport will ignite the Home of the Street Fighters for the first time in over 2 years this weekend at a crucial stage in the championship battle, with Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing team having wrested control from reigning driver and constructor champions, Lewis Hamilton & Mercedes AMG Petronas in Monaco last week.
Could the race in Baku be another significant turning point in what is shaping up to be a battle for the ages between one of F1’s all-time greats and the young pretender to his crown? Or will one of the other Street Fighters emerge victorious on a track that has become famous for being as unforgiving as it is unpredictable?
Click here for up-to-date images of Baku City Circuit
Since its 2016 debut on the F1 calendar, Baku City Circuit has quickly become a fan & driver favourite, delivering some of the most exhilarating, dramatic and unpredictable racing in recent memory, with 4 different winners in each race so far.
Will we see a fifth different winner in 2021 to mark the 5th F1 race in Azerbaijan? We are only days away from finding out!
BCC’s Executive Director, Arif Rahimov, commented earlier: “We are thrilled to finally welcome Formula 1 back to Baku this weekend. I am immensely proud of the whole team here at Baku City Circuit for the level of effort, dedication and passion that has been shown by all of our staff to help deliver this incredible event for the world to enjoy. It has been too long since we last saw F1 cars battle it out on our beautiful circuit and I can’t wait to see what surprises it has in store for the drivers this weekend. One thing is for sure: when it comes to the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, you must always expect the unexpected!”
FIA Formula 1 Race Director and Safety Delegate, Michael Masi, said: “It is great to be returning to Azerbaijan and working with everyone at the Azerbaijan Automobile Federation and Baku City Circuit to deliver what I hope will be another great race on the city streets. A huge amount of preparation goes into creating this event, from construction that began several months ago to the specialist marshal training and simulation that takes place on the Thursday, and following our inspections the circuit looks to be in great condition.”
For more information on the 2021 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix please visit: www.bakucitycircuit.com
Media Contact:
For more information, please contact: media@bakugp.az or tcooney@thesmg.com
