Formula 1 heads to Baku next week, but fans will have to change their usual Sunday plans. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2026 will be held on Saturday, September 26, instead of the traditional Sunday race day.
The unusual schedule has been confirmed by Formula 1 and the FIA after a request from the Azerbaijan promoter and relevant government stakeholders. The race was originally scheduled for Sunday, September 27, but was moved one day earlier to accommodate a national day in Azerbaijan.
Why is the F1 Azerbaijan GP being held on Saturday in Baku?
The date change is linked to September 27 Remembrance Day, which honours those who lost their lives during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Formula 1 and the FIA agreed to move the Grand Prix from September 27 to September 26 so that the race would not clash with the national day. The entire Baku weekend has consequently been moved forward by a day.
🚨| El próximo Gran Premio de Fórmula 1 es en Bakú y se va a correr el día SÁBADO 👀
🗓️• prácticas el jueves, qualy el viernes y carrera el sábado.
👉El domingo 27 de septiembre, en Azerbaiyán se celebra el “Día del Recuerdo” por un conflicto con Armenia en el año 2020. pic.twitter.com/tCypvkXjrq
— Tino (@TinoCLeclerc) September 14, 2026
That means the weekend begins on Thursday, September 24, with the first two practice sessions. Friday will feature FP3 and qualifying, before the main event takes place on Saturday. The official race start is scheduled for 3pm local time.
Is this the first F1 race to be held on Saturday?
No. While this will be the first time the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been staged on a Saturday, it is not the first Saturday race in Formula 1 history.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix has been held on Saturday since its return to the F1 calendar in 2023. However, Baku’s change is different because it is specifically linked to Azerbaijan’s national day.
The unusual weekend also comes at a fascinating point in the 2026 championship. Kimi Antonelli heads to Baku after winning the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s Madring and extending his championship lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell.
F1 faces packed schedule after Baku
The Saturday race will also be the start of a punishing stretch for the F1 paddock.
After Baku on September 26, the championship heads to Malaysia on October 4 and Singapore on October 11. There is then a week off before Austin on October 25, followed by Mexico, Brazil and Las Vegas on consecutive weekends.
Qatar and Abu Dhabi will then close the season on November 29 and December 6 respectively. That leaves F1 with nine races across 11 weeks after the championship arrives in Baku, making the final stretch of the 2026 season one of the busiest periods on the calendar.
