Checo's "home" race | Leclerc's "wall or pole" | Batteries, Barriers & More | 2026 Azerbaijan GP

Baku has all the ingredients for chaos—and this weekend could reshape the title fight.

Baku is the kind of circuit that turns good weekends into disasters and average drivers into headlines.

After Madrid left fans questioning what a street circuit should really be, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix arrives with the exact opposite promise: long straights, razor-thin margins, huge championship stakes, and the kind of drama that only Baku seems to deliver.

Soumil Aurora and Kunal Shah preview the first race of the triple header and break down why this is one of the most unpredictable events on the Formula 1 calendar. From the 2.2-kilometre full-throttle straight to Turn 8—the narrowest corner in Formula 1—Baku is built for risk, reward, and mistakes that can change everything.

With lower-downforce cars, battery-deployment battles, and windy conditions expected to make braking even trickier, this could be the perfect storm.

Chapters

00:00 Baku begins the triple header

01:18 How Baku became a must-watch Grand Prix

03:21 Antonelli’s championship lead and Russell’s comeback

05:16 Why Antonelli has made Mercedes look stronger

07:42 When could Antonelli seal the title?

09:26 Verstappen’s redemption and Baku’s long straight