The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is taking place on a Saturday in the F1 2026 season – so consider this your official notice to make sure you’re tuned in on the correct days.

Free practice 1 and 2 will take place on Thursday, with FP3 and qualifying taking place on Friday, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix taking place on Saturday.

Why will the Azerbaijan Grand Prix take place on Saturday 26 September?

While normally held on a Sunday, the race around the Baku City Circuit has been moved a day forward this time around, to accommodate Azerbaijan’s Remembrance Day, held on 27 September.

The national day was decreed in December 2020, in the weeks following a ceasefire agreement in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War – also called the 44-Day War – in which Azerbaijan declared victory as it fought with forces from Armenia and Artsakh over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Conflict began on 27 September that year, and the date is now used to commemorate the loss of approximately 2,900 Azerbaijani soldiers who were killed in the conflict.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix promoters and government stakeholders requested the date of its race be brought forward for 2026, as the dates would have clashed, to which the sport has agreed.

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Azerbaijan Grand Prix is not the only Saturday race in Formula 1 history

While rare in the present day, Saturday races have been used in Formula 1 through time for different reasons.

The very first Formula 1 Grand Prix took place on Saturday 13 May 1950 at Silverstone, for example.

Paid sporting events were among multiple facets of British life that were restricted on a Sunday, due to strict Sunday trading regulations. The eventual relaxation of these rules permitted a switch to racing on Sundays by the mid-1970s.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix has taken place on a Saturday night since its 2023 return, while the 2024 Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were brought forward due to the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

What are the session times for the F1 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

While the dates have been brought forward, the weekend structure remains fundamentally the same – just 24 hours ahead.

Thursday 24 September

FP1: 12.30pm-1.30pm [9.30am-10.30am UK]

FP2: 4pm-5pm [1pm-2pm UK]

Friday 25 September

FP3: 12.30pm-1.30pm [9.30am-10.30am UK]

Qualifying: 4pm-5pm [1pm-2pm UK]

Saturday 26 September

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: 3pm [12pm UK] [51 laps or 120 minutes]

Only two drivers have won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix more than once, those individuals being Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, who will both be in action this week.

Perez, who claimed his Azerbaijan GP wins as a Red Bull driver in 2021 and 2023, returned to the grid in F1 2026 with newcomers Cadillac.

Verstappen, meanwhile, heads to Baku, at the wheel of the RB22, looking to become the first three-time winner.

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