After the Spanish GP, which marked Madring’s debut on the calendar, drivers and teams will have a few days without competition before the next stage of the 2026 season.
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The next Race Week will be the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, held at the Baku City Circuit. The schedule takes place between September 18 and 20, with the first free practice sessions on Friday, qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday.
With that, the wait will be short. Starting Monday (14), Formula 1 officially enters the week of the Azerbaijan GP, while the cars return to the track on Friday (18).
Baku represents a significant change in characteristics compared to Madring. The Azerbaijani street circuit is known for the unusual combination of extremely narrow sectors and one of the longest acceleration zones on the entire calendar.
The section that passes through the city’s historic area demands precision from the drivers, especially in the sequence near Baku Castle, where the walls leave very little margin for error. In contrast, the huge straight leading to the finish line places maximum speed and aerodynamic efficiency among the determining factors for performance.
This combination also makes car setup particularly complicated. Teams need to find a compromise between enough aerodynamic downforce for the twistier sectors and low drag to avoid losing performance in the long acceleration zones.
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Baku’s characteristics also tend to produce unpredictable races. The proximity of the walls increases the possibility of yellow flags, Safety Car, and interruptions, while the strong slipstream effect on the long straight creates important overtaking opportunities.
For Gabriel Bortoleto, Azerbaijan will be another opportunity to seek an important result for Audi in his second year in Formula 1, now on a circuit where confidence and precision are fundamental throughout the weekend.
The Azerbaijan GP will be held in the conventional format, with three free practice sessions, qualifying, and the race. The detailed schedule, with the times of each session in Brasília time, will be highlighted during Race Week.
F1Mania.net follows all the preparation for the Azerbaijan GP, as well as bringing news, behind the scenes, schedules, and full coverage of all Formula 1 activities in Baku.
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